Tales of a Twist: Fate of the Prodigy
by My Lovely Yume
Summary: After hunting down Kloitz and Virginia, the Imperial Research Academy has finally captured the prodigy child, Raine Sage. How will the Journey of World Regeneration change? What will happen to Raine and Genis? Only one way to find out. [Spoilers]
1. A Prodigy Stolen

Author's Notes: Okay, so like, I woke up one day with this insane idea: "Hey. What if the Imperial Research Academy **did **catch Raine?" What would happen to Genis? What would happen to Virginia? What about poor super intelligent Raine?! I've got a lot of ideas in store for this fan fiction. Time to twist the original Tales of Symphonia plot! YAY for twisting fate! Read, rate, and tell me what you think. I promise, the story will start picking up if it seems slow at first. But that's why the beginning is called... well... the beginning.

Oh yes, of course. This story is **spoilerific**. If you have not gotten to the part where you learn the truth about Raine and Genis, I suggest you not read. If you haven't done Raine and Genis' mother's sidequest, you might not understand some parts of this story.

It's obvious, but **I do not own Tales of Symphonia**. If I did, the Eternal Sword would be the Eternal Cookie. And instead of lacking the right, everyone would lack the milk. And Kratos would have made the Ring of the Chocolate Chips instead of the Ring of the Pact. Or maybe Oatmeal Raisin. Yummy ♥

_Yes I am weird. And you love it._

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Chapter One:

A Prodigy Stolen

The Ymir Forrest was once a peaceful place where one could find repose along side nature. But for Kloitz and his family, it was an escape route. Tranquility was swallowed by the adrenaline rush pumping through his veins and the will to survive. Their footsteps sang a song of discord, fright, and hopelessness. It wasn't the first time he was forced to run for his life with his wive and children, but they never got used to it. Surely, they desired for their pursuit to cease permanently.

"Hurry, Virginia!" Kloitz called behind his wife who was lagging behind, carrying a child.

"I'm right behind you!" she lied. The distance between was increasing rapidly, and the distance between their predators decreasing. "I wouldn't let them get you!" Virginia hugged the moaning child in her embrace. She pressed the child's body close to hers in an effort to subdue the shock of running.

The pair ran rapidly through the forest, dodging trees and branches erecting from the ground. Daylight disappeared with every step they took. Animals scurried out of their path and cried into the growing night; giving away their position. The sound of clanging armor only grew louder behind them.

"Daddy!" a little girl yelled and attempted to tighten the grip on her father's hand. She could barely keep up with the speed of her father's steps and the perspiration made her small fingers slip away from his.

"We're almost there, Raine. Just a little while longer!" Kloitz said, finding time to turn to his daughter and flash a smile. "Will you be okay, Sweety?"

"I-I think." The smile gave the girl a sudden speed boost and determination. "I'm just a little tired." She pushed her silver hair away from her face with her free hand. Her eleven year old body was growing weak.

"In the name of the King of Tethe'alla, we demand that you stop this instant or face punishment!" The king's knights were closing in fast, showing no intentions of slowing down or giving up.

"Damn!" he exclaimed, angrily.

"Kloitz! They're going to catch us! We have to hide Raine!" Virginia whispered to her husband when he was in earshot.

Annoyed, the man sighed and agreed. He commanded them to hide behind a tree. Kloitz looked around desperately for a hiding place until he spotted an old tree which he hoped was reliable. One by one, his wife and children climbed the tree and were instructed to remain quiet.

"But Daddy! What are you going to do?" Raine's eyes filled with tears. She reached out desperately for her father's hand from her position in the tree, but was held back by her mother.

"I'll be fine, Raine. Take care of Genis and Mom for me, okay?" Kloitz replied, making his voice as calm as possible. "Virginia, I'll head in the opposite direction to draw the guards away. When they're gone, get out of here, okay?"

Virginia wiped the tears from her eyes and nodded thoughtlessly. "Okay. But meet us outside the forest."

"Don't worry about me." Kloitz blew an intangible kiss to his wife. Virginia caught it, holding it close to her heart. He ran away at full speed and disappeared into the growing darkness, without a single glance back.

Virginia balanced herself on the tree branch and secured her children. Her feet ached terribly; she could feel the pain running through her veins. A cool breeze kissed her face, brining a temporary state of relief from the fever. The escape dealt heavy damage to her unfit body; already weaken from giving birth to a beautiful baby boy just weeks before. With her back against the tree, she unwrapped her son from his cloth prison. His silver hair matched his sister's as did his blue-gray eyes. Their father's eyes.

Raine's body shook violently from fear. Her heart pounded; sounding as if it were actually in her head. She tightened her grip on the branch and faced her mother with watery, irritated eyes. She had been crying for hours. "Mommy," she whispered, "I'm sorry! It's me they want!"

"No, Raine. It's not your fault." Virginia gently rubbed her daughter's face, wiping away some of her tears. "We'll be out of this forest soon."

Genis began to cry and fuss. "It's okay, Genis. I'll protect you!" Raine smiled. She held out her hand. Genis grabbed a finger and wrapped four of his around them. His cries settled.

Hours passed by, but it felt like days. The moon hovered high above the area and relieved the darkness with a minimal amount of light; but still, it was difficult to see obstacles more than a few inches away.

"Mom, can we get down now?" Raine asked. She felt just as fatigued as her mother and her eyes dropped periodically. The sense of fear was the only thing keeping her from dozing off.

"Yes, I think so." Virginia inspected her surroundings before handing her infant son to Raine. "I'll climb down first." She struggled to keep her footing and lost her grip several times as she traveled down the trunk of the tree. "Drop Genis; I'll check him. Then you can jump down." The elf stepped closer to where she estimated her son would drop. She had only one shot to catch him; no second chances.

"O-okay." Brother in hand, Raine scooted closer to the center of the tree. She swung her legs around and looked for her mother below, squinting her eyes to make use of any available light. The darkness hurt her eyes, but she did her best to ignore it.

"Honey, please be careful. I don't wan-" Her sentence was interrupted and replaced by an ear-piercing scream. She turned around to see small glimpses of armor illuminated by the soft, white moonlight: the Cardinal Knight's armor. He wrapped the woman's hands behind her back, shackled them, and covered her mouth with his hand to end the torment.

"Mommy!" Raine exclaimed from atop the tree, giving away her location. Suddenly, she lost her balance. She let go of Genis but soon regretted it as she screamed his name. The girl landed on her back; the air ripped from her lungs upon impact. With no time to cry, she sat up then struggled to her feet, only to be captured herself.

"Raine! LET HER GO!" Virginia scrambled to loosen the shackles with no luck.

"Shut up, woman!" the Cardinal Knight demanded and kicked the woman, causing her to fall to the cold ground. Virginia spat out a clump of dirt she accidentally ingested.

A man in a white laboratory coat stepped out from the darkness and approached Raine. "Finally! We've been after you for ages. Why not be a good little half elf and come with us?" he asked with a fake smile.

"No!" Raine replied and fought to run away. Hunger and fatigue subverted her.

The mysterious man sighed. "Take her to the Imperial Research Academy. Just tell them to lock her up good. Remember, she's a half elf. They use magic."

"Understood." The knight lifted the child and threw her on his back effortlessly. Raine kicked her legs and pounded his armor feverishly, turning her small hands red as they pulsated, swollen. Her futile efforts were ignored and he proceeded to leave the forest.

Virginia twisted and turned as Raine was taken away by the knight. She psychotically rolled around on the ground, attempting to rise to her feet. The shackles binding her wrist fooled her sense of balance, making it nearly impossible to catch her child. "Please, don't take my daughter!" She pleaded as tears streamed down her face. Her pleas fell on deaf ears.

The sound of Raine's voice slowly faded until it no longer existed.

"What about this one?" the last remaining Cardinal Knight asked and pointed to Virginia.

"Do whatever you want with her." The man waved his hand as if the elf was barely a second thought. "I got what I wanted."

- - - - - -

Morning crept in and robbed the night. Sunlight poured into the area just as the moonlight did, only it was more peaceful. Serenity once again took over the forest. The sounds of nature filled the air and the animals called out to each other. No remnants of the night before remained.

A man walked along the path of the Ymir Forrest. His boots pounded against the dirt path and his black cape blew in the few gentle breezes.

"It can't be here," he mumbled to himself, walking with his arms folded. "So why am I looking?" Sighing, he shook his head and pulled back his cerulean blue hair.

Suddenly, his angelic ears perked up and he jerked his head to the right. "What is. . . .?" While his mouth asked the question, his feet sought after the answer. The search lead him to a tree, where he concluded the location of the sound to be. Something else was drawing him to the tree, though. "No way." Pink translucent wings appeared on his back before he flew to the branch producing the sound.

"WHAT?!" he exclaimed after seeing a baby, wrapped in a black cloth. Baby Genis rocked on the thin branch and cooed at the sight of the angel. Fearing for his safety, Yuan grabbed the boy and held him tightly. "You're a half elf, huh?" His face softened and, somehow, a smile broke through.

Genis stared at the angel and smiled back. Yuan laughed a bit. "I'd better get you out of here," he said while re-wrapping the infant in the cloth. "I guess I have no choice but to take you with me. The elves in Heimdall will just probably just let you rot here." Child in hand, Yuan flew away in the direction of his Tethe'alla Renegade base.

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Author's Note: Omg! Yuan the Daddy! I'm sorry, but I just had to poke fun at Yuan. Dunno why xD More fun is in store once the Renegades meet the baby. Stay tuned! Read and rate; I return the favor when I have the time.  



	2. Fate of the Prodigy

Lookie, it's chapter two! Chapter three might take a bit more time as I'm currently preparing for prom (senior in high school, woot) and finals. So, um, yeah. I write in my spare time and try to add as much of a chapter as possible without rushing through it. Yosh, I know, it is short D: Gomen. Anyway, enjoy.

I do not own Tales of Symphonia. If I did, the Tower of Salvation would be the Tower of Candy. Yummy ♥

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Chapter Two:

Fate of a Prodigy

Raine was unconscious by the time the Cardinal Knights reached the Academy. Hunger and fatigue took its toll on her small body. She dangled over the knight's shoulder, motionless. The sound of her gentle snoring caught the attention of the front desk receptionist.

"Ma-may I help you, sir?" she asked nervously. It was unusual for the King's knights to enter the Academy, just as it was rare for the half elves to leave.

"This is that half elf, Raine Sage."

"Oh, yes! Please, bring her downstairs." The receptionist lead the way to the stairway and Raine's prison.

The half elves halted their experimented when they heard the sounds of the visitors.

"What do you think you're doing? Get back to work!" the knight demanded with the girl still on his shoulder.

Most obeyed, fearing punishment. Any of them could be easily executed for a crime; even for something as simple as breathing without permission. For the half elves, there was no justice: only penalty.

The smell of chemicals woke up the drowsy half elf. Feeling she was in an unusual sleeping position, Raine gasped and looked around her surroundings. There were definitely no test tubes, cages, laboratory tables, scholars, and chemicals in her room at home. She started to fight, but her stomach grumbled, causing her to temporarily abandon the thought of escape. Raine groaned and let her body dangle freely on the knight's shoulder once again.

"This is the prodigy, Raine Sage! Testing will commence as soon as I examine her." The receptionist clapped her hands excitedly. "She was found in the Ymir Forrest last night. Finally, after all this time!"

"I must report back to the King." Raine was dropped on the floor rather rudely. She moaned as she waited for the pain of being dropped on the marble floor to go away. The knights left the Academy and headed towards the castle.

"Put her in one of the magitechnology cages," the receptionist instructed after pointing to a group of over-sided animal cages. "I need to return to my post." She disappeared up the stairs.

Once again, the room was quiet and Raine settled herself. Shelves filled with a rainbow of liquids circled the room; some sizzled and boiled over. A table mostly covered with scattered papers was in the center of the room.

Another half elf in a laboratory coat approached the girl. "Come on. Let's get you inside," he said as he attempted to grab her thin arm.

Raine began to cry and scooted away until her back hit the wall. "NO! I want my mommy!" she yelled.

The man sighed and bent down to view the girl at eye level. "Look, please don't make this hard on yourself. I'm sure you're hungry."

She rubbed her stomach and looked to the side innocently. "I didn't eat breakfast or dinner last night," Raine confessed. She was too busy running away from the Academy to eat, but there was no need for the man to know that.

He smiled. "Then, I'll try to get you some food. But first, you have to get into the cage. It's not that bad inside. Okay?"

Raine realize escaping on an empty stomach would only put her in danger. 'At least wait to learn the area,' she told herself. "Okay," she told the man aloud.

"Good girl." He pulled off a ring of keys from his waist and sorted through a few before picking out one. Unlocking a cage, Raine was instructed to walk inside, which she did, in hopes of receiving some food. The cage was locked behind her. "I'll see what we have to eat."

"Genis." Raine sat in the prison, staring at the people through the metal bars. She curled into a ball and rocked nervously. "I hope you're okay." Warm tears streamed down her dirty face.

- - - - - - - -

The sight of the Renegade base gave him relief. As Yuan approached Flanoir, the snow fall became heavier. The winds blew ferociously and the snow distorted his vision. He used his cape to shield the infant, fearing for his health. He considered stopping in Flanoir to take the child to the doctor, but voted against it. The angel was supposed to be under cover; plus, he needed to be able to answer if Lord Yggdrasil summoned him. There was no time for him to raise suspicions.

He quickly opened the door to his base and stepped inside. He was greeted by the Renegade.

"Welcome back, Lord Yuan."

"Thank you."

"Is that. . . .a child?" The watchman asked and pointed to the object in his arms.

"Yes, he is."

Extremely confused, the watchman decided not to continue any further questioning.

"Summon Botta to my office immediately," Yuan commanded as he walked to his quarters deep within the base. Genis mumbled some random sounds.

"Yes, Sir!"

Yuan sparked interest in the Renegades, walking down the hallways of his base with a child in his hand. Snickering echoed in the corridors as he passed tech rooms and open doors. Conversations started in places that where there had been none. Some even congratulated Yuan on 'his child.' He only growled and demanded they return to their work. At one point, he hid the child in his cape, but was forced to take him out once Genis began to fuss.

Within minutes of being summoned by Yuan, Botta arrived at his lord's office and knocked on the door twice.

Yuan stopped playing with the infant and cleared his throat before saying, "Come in."

The door opened and Botta entered. "You called, my Lord?"

"Yes. Have a seat." Yuan pointed to a chair with his free hand. Genis was playing with the other.

Botta noticed something moving in his Lord's arms. He raised an eyebrow as he sat down in one of the two plush chairs stationed in front of Yuan's desk. "Is something wrong, Sir?" His voice purposely hinted at the child.

"I'm sure you've already noticed."

"Yes, I have." Botta looked around with shifty eyes before gaining the courage to ask, "Is it your child, Sir?"

"No," he replied. A soft pink color took over his cheeks but was quickly neutralized. "I found him in the Ymir Forrest."

"Near Heimdall?! Why would anyone leave a child?"

"I don't know, and do not have the time to find out. But be on alert for any reports of a missing child." Yuan shifted Genis' body to his left arm; his right one was numb.

"But, Lord Yuan, if he is a half elven child, no one will be concerned for him," Botta stated.

"Still, be on alert. I have to be on call if Yggdrasill summons me. He must not learn about the child," the leader said.

His subordinate nodded. "Understood."

Yuan glanced at a paper on his desk. "I must return to Cruxis. Yggdrasill wishes to speak with me about the Oracle."

"Is Martel's vessel already complete?" Botta asked with concern.

"No, not yet. We still have a few more years, but this one may be it. He'll become suspicious if I miss this meeting. It's also an opportunity to learn more about the Chosen." The Seraph stood to his feet and walked over to Botta. "Look after him until I get back. Also have someone go to Flanoir for supplies."

"Understood." Botta took the child and held him securely. "What type of supplies, Sir?"

Yuan faked a cough. "You know, like, um, baby stuff." He straightened his cape. "Well, I'm off."

"Wait, Sir. Does this child have a name?"

A name? "Um." Yuan reclaimed the infant and removed the blanket. "Surely, there has to be something on here. . ." What he was looking for wasn't actually clear. "Ah!" he exclaimed after finding a bracelet on the minor's arm. "It's written in Ancient Elven letters. . ." The angel was fluent in the Elven language, but had not used it in a long time. His pronunciation was slightly off but he translated the symbols. "Genis S-. The rest of it is too damaged."

"Genis. Alright, Sir. I will do my best with this child."

"I know I can count on you, Botta."

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I just find the idea of Yuan raising a child so comical. He's so. . . uptight and jumpy. Oh well. Read and rate. I've also got another idea for a story (it'll be a oneshot though). Stay tuned for chapter three which will most likely be titled "Father Seraph." 


	3. Father Seraph

Yeah, I decided to keep the title the same. Yay for descriptive filler chapters! Well, not exactly a filler, more like a recap chapter. You'll see. Enjoy.

I do not own Tales of Symphonia, but I will if Santa comes through for me on Christmas this year ♥ That would be an awesome present, wouldn't it?

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Chapter Three:

Father Seraph

Upon reaching the Tower of Salvation, Yuan ascended the transparent steps, placed his hand on the magitechnology scanner near the entrance, and waited for the door to open. Walking down the only path, he disregarded the spiral row of coffins hovering in the air and continued to the next room.

Great stone pillars surrounded the opening. Two sets of curved stairs lead to the end of many innocent lives; the sacrifice of the Chosen. A sword lie in the middle of the room on the lower section, emitting an aura of immense power, yet immune to those who lacked the right.

"But we all know HE does not possess the right," Yuan said as he took the teleport up.

Welgaia. City without a soul. Hundreds of lifeless beings floated above ground. Their eyes were emotionless: a deep shade of red. True to Yggdrasill's wishes, there was no discrimination in this city, but there was also no life. In order to achieve it, he sacrificed their humanity. They were unable to feel hunger, express joy, or form opinions of their own. Were they truly angels? Or demons with wings?

"Lord Yuan." A monotone voice broke the silence. Yuan looked up to see a familiar man standing before him, wearing his purple uniform. His auburn hair defied the laws of gravity.

"Hm. Kratos." Yuan didn't look pleased to see him.

"Here for the meeting?" Kratos asked, rhetorically.

"What do you think?"

Kratos ignored Yuan's hostility. "I was sent to fetch you. The meeting has been postponed."

"For what reason?"

"An urgent matter has come up and requires Lord Yggdrasill's immediate attention."

"What type of matters?" Concern for his secret actions rose in the back of his mind, but he did his best to keep them hidden. Kratos knew nothing about the Renegade's leader, and Yuan wished to keep it that way.

"That is not of your concern nor was it mentioned. Lord Yggdrasill has rescheduled the meeting. It will be soon."

"Fine. I'll be in the library." The half elf Seraph sashayed off.

Folding his arms, Kratos watched Yuan walk off. He began to ask a question, but voted against it. There was no use. "Hmm."

Welgaia had a prominent library; it easily rivaled those in Sybak, Meltokio, and Palmacosta. Millions of books spread across the floor plan containing no less than three hundred shelves, each holding close to two thousand books. Many of them were filled with information on the Ancient Kharlan War. Yggdrasill wrote some himself and everyone else had no choice but to believe him. Editing the contents was forbidden by anyone but Mithos himself. The way he figured, the lifeless beings lacked the capacity to even question the historical accuracy of the literature cluttering the library.

Yuan walked through the door of the library calmly.

"Identification please." A guard asked without even looking up.

"Am I really required to show it?" Yuan asked without moving.

"Oh, Lord Yuan! I was unaware of your presence," he apologized in a drone voice. "Please proceed."

Lord Yuan walked off while saying, "I shall."

He knew exactly what he was looking for and flew to the back of the library, a section that was quickly collecting dust. He scanned the books with his angelic eyes and ran his fingers over the rims of the books until he spotted one. Carefully, he peeled it away from its location before finding a seat back on ground level.

The Seraph pulled his seat back and sat down. "Alright," he said to himself. "Let's see." His fingers flipped through the pages. Pictures and diagrams flashed by quickly.

No one else cared for what Yuan was doing. Actually, he was alone in the back of the library. Most of the books in that sections were left to rot: they held no information needed or substantial to the Age of Lifeless Beings. Plus, crossing any of the Three Seraphim was like playing with fire while being covered in oil and paper; one would most likely get burned, and not just burned, destroyed beyond the point of no return, even if one was able to return, they wouldn't want to.

Yuan read the contents quietly, yet slowly, in an attempt to retain as much as possible. Some of the information was new to him. That was surprising, due to the fact that he had four thousand years of data in his head. Probably more than he should have acquired.

Crackling sounds disturbed his concentration. He moaned in annoyance and looked to the side, where a communicator had been installed. The library had several of them; actually, Welgaia was filled with communicators. The angel city had the best magitechnology, though the Renegades were quickly catching up, thanks to their leader.

A few seconds later, Yggdrasill's figure appeared in a holographic form. "Yuan," he said in a deep, adult tone of voice; one that demanded authority. Surely enough, when Lord Yggdrasill spoke, people listened. "The meeting will now begin. Please report to my castle immediately."

"As you wish, Lord Yggdrasill." Obediently, he stood up and pushed in his seat while hiding the book he was reading.

"Very good," the leader replied. "Hmm. . . Yuan. Why are you in the library? Kratos told me I would find you here."

Yuan turned to the communicator and swallowed before speaking. "Merely passing the time with reading."

"Interesting hobby." Mithos laughed. "Regardless, report for the meeting now."

"Yes, My Lord."

Yggdrasill disappeared and the area went dark again once the communicator turned off. Yuan sighed to himself, pulling back his cerulean hair and folding his arms under the long, black cape. "Can't let him see this book."

Before leaving, he left the book he had been reading at the first desk to keep on reserve. Not like anyone would take the book, but still: better safe than sorry. The receptionist didn't look at the title, fearing he would anger Lord Yuan for being curious in the Seraph's personal reading habits.

"I will keep this book on reserve for you, Lord Yuan. Please enjoy your meeting." He placed the book in a compartment out of view from the position were Yuan stood.

"Thank you," before walking off.

Derris-Kharlan was the location of the misdirected leader's castle. It was under heavy security; the Derris Emblem sealed off the route and only members of the High Cruxis Order could approach it. Though, no one was brave enough to attempt to overrule Yggdrasill.

Inside the castle were an endless supply of hallways and stairwells. The stairwells were something of a pun though; everyone in Welgaia had wings. The main room arched off into a different paths that would seemed sempiternal to any new comer, each leading to another room filled with books, windows showing the dazzling view of two worlds splits apart, and lifeless beings. A great dragon guarded the door to Mithos' private quarters; absolutely no one was allowed in that room. Yet absolutely no one had the key to enter even if they were brave enough to defy orders.

"Glad you could make it." A sarcastic Pronyma greeted.

Yuan stepped into a room after a slight hesitation and ignored Pronyma. A long table sat in the center along with chairs. He directed himself to the arrangement and took a seat, carefully positioning himself the farthest away from everyone else.

"Is that how you speak to a Seraph, Pronyma?" Yuan retorted with his eye closed.

"Forgive me," she apologized, with the same sardonic tone. "Glad you could make it, _Lord_ Yuan."

"Insolence will be your downfall. Your lack of respect is merely mirrored back to you." Kratos' voice appeared behind Yuan until he seated himself near the end of the table.

"Interesting hearing that from a traitor,_ Lord_ Kratos." Pronyma slotted her eyes, which went unheeded by Kratos. She gave no respect to anyone but Yggdrasill and in return, received none. Even as the leader of the Five Desian Grand Cardinals, none valued her life. "Running away and abandoning Lord Yggdrasill. Then coming back like a lost pet after your family was killed. That disgusting host body; she took off with things that did not belong to her. Even worse, she produced a child. Filthy humans."

Kratos balled his fist under the table and resisted the urge to bit his lip. He didn't want to show her his irritation. Those scars had not yet healed."Do not speak ill of the dead. Regardless, my past is of no matter to you."

"The only reason he prolonged your life is because of Origin; your life IS the seal. Still, it amazes me why he'd chose you as a life seal. I think a dog would have been a more reliable choice, as they are loyal to their masters."

"Maybe he should have chosen a dog then, but you resemble a werewolf more than a dog." Yuan defended Kratos; she had no right to speak of his supposedly dead wife and child.

Pronyma growled angrily. "You l-"

"Pronyma, silence." Lord Yggdrasill entered the room. Those who were sitting stood up to bow and those standing knelt down in respect. "Treat those with higher ranks than you with respect."

"Yes, Lord Yggdrasill," Pronyma replied submissively.

"Rise and be seated. The meeting will now begin." Mithos seated himself at the end of the table in the largest chair, specially reserved for himself. "Now," he said after all three were seated, "I have matters to discuss."

"Is all well, Lord Yggdrasill?"

"Yes, all is well," he responded, slightly annoyed with being interrupted. "I am happy to report that Sylvarant's Chosen is showing signs of having the closest mana signature to Martel."

"Hmm."

"Because of this, I want to heighten the security around the Chosen."

"Security?" Yuan asked. "Her crystal will not awaken if she is not in danger." He set his mind into bad guy mode; right now, he had to think like a Seraph, not a Renegade.

"I know, Yuan." Yggdrasill nodded. "The Desians know of this as well and all those plans will remain the same."

"So the Desians will continue to reek havoc in Sylvarant around the time the Oracle is conveyed?" Kratos implied.

"Yes, Kratos. When I give the signal, they'll carry out my orders."

"Then what good will security do?" Pronyma joined the conversation. "If she feels safe, then her crystal will not awaken and she can not merge with Martel."

"My concern is those filthy Renegades that seem to get in my way at the worst of times. I can not wait for the day I finally wipe them out, once and for all." Yggdrasill rubbed his temples. "Therefore, I want added security around this Chosen. To keep her away from the Renegades and speed up the process of World Regeneration. If they get her, who knows how long it would take to make another vessel?"

"Ah, I see. A wise decision, Lord Yggdrasill."

"Are there any objections?" Even if there were, Mithos wouldn't care. They all knew that. None of them could combat his almighty power. Not yet, anyway.

"None," Pronyma said first.

"None." Yuan was second.

"None." Kratos was last.

Yggdrasill smiled with a smile that would scare the devil himself. His plans were coming into action. "Good," he replied as he entwined his fingers together. "If there are no more questi-"

"Lord Yuan." Pronyma peered down the table; her eyes glued to Yuan's cape. "Is that. . . ." She got up from her seat and walked over to him. Her sudden outburst caught the room's attention. Mithos figured she had a good reason for rudely interrupting him twice in the same meeting. "What is this peculiar substance soiling your expensive cloak?" Her fingers grabbed the cape violently and she revealed the tip where a stain had set in.

"What?" Yuan turned around and inspected the mark. It had indeed deeply stained his cloak, discoloring a circular section of the material.

"It appears to be. . . . . ." Kratos raised an eyebrow suspiciously, "regurgitated."

Yggdrasill looked at Yuan; half amused, half confused. "Yuan, did you throw up on yourself?"

"Impossible. He has not eaten in four thousand years," Pronyma stated.

Kratos examined it closer. The unpleasant smell reached his nose. "It seems to have come from a child. Infant most likely." He was once a father. Memories of his son throwing up on his uniform during feedings and of Anna laughing as she cleaned him up were still in his mind.

"What?!" the Seraph repeated. Then he realized: Genis must have thrown up on him before he left. Yuan shook his head and sighed. "Children," he whispered under his breath.

"Yuan, do you have a child? Speak now; I may let him live." Mithos was not about to let history repeat itself; Kratos was the one and only Seraphim who interrupted and jeopardized his plan due to a family. "If I find him on my own, there is no guarantee what will happen."

"No, I do not have a child, Lord Yggdrasill. There is no way I could hide one from you."

Yggdrasill wasn't satisfied, but put the issue to the back of his mind for another time. His sister was more important than a child. "Hmph. Very well. Meeting over for now. Expect to hear from me again soon."

Kratos was the first to leave, followed by Pronyma. But Yuan didn't get out of the room fast enough.

"Yuan," Yggdrasill called before Yuan even touched the doorknob.

Sighing, Yuan turned around to face his superior. "Yes, My Lord?"

Mithos moved in closer, locking eye contact with the Seraph. "I would have hoped you learned from Kratos' mistake, which he paid for with his family's lives." His tone was malicious in itself, despite knowing of the half elf's past. "It is unwise to oppose me."

Yuan tried his best to remain calm. "I know of Kratos' betrayal, Lord Yggdrasill. I have no intentions of opposing. If I did, surely I would have done it already."

"Hmm," he said in a train of thought.

He saw the opportunity to leave and caught it. "Please excuse me, My Lord. I must wash my cape." With that, Yuan made his escape.

* * *

Oh noes! Genis threw up on Yuan's Cape of Intense Awesomeness! Bad Genis; no dinner! Hmm, looks like Lord Yggdrasil is rather suspicious of Yuan, but he's more concerned with the Chosen. And that Pronyma; grr, what a (insert a variety of words I can not add without raising the rating of this story). What will happen next? Tune in for the next chapter most likely going to be titled _Melancholy_. 


	4. Melancholy

Woot! Chapter four! Yeah, I feel my chapters are a bit short but I try to leave them at about 4-8 pages in my word processor. Later on, the chapters will get longer as I'll be putting in a lot more description and scenes. And I'll try to keep everyone in character, though Genis and Raine's characters will be slightly altered due to their different backgrounds. Don't worry, everyone else will pretty much be the same. I think. No promises! -shifty eyes- Wouldn't want to give away the surprises, now, would I?

I do not own Tales of Symphonia. If I did, Colette would have fallen into the lava in the Triet Ruins seal.

Enjoy!

* * *

Chapter Four:

Melancholy

Some time had passed since Raine was brought to the Research Academy. Thankfully, the man she met her first day kept to his word and she ate a measly bowl of Miso soup. That was the best meal she had, however. Afterwards, her meals were regulated by the meanest of the researchers; a human with an open disfavor of half elves and when asked, never gave a reason for the explicit hatred. It didn't take Raine long to realize she was going to be through a lot of hell on Tethe'alla. The things her mother told her about the Academy barely scratched the surface of the true repugnance contained within the walls. Virginia's description of "half elves locked in rooms" and "experiments that were derogatory to humans and elves alike" sounded pleasant compared to the real horror she experienced every day. Like a nightmare come true, Raine lived the woke up to the despair, wishing she hadn't.

The prodigy's days consisted of painful experiments and tests. They seemed meaningless and downright cruel and unnecessarily excruciating; there was no reason to inform the girl of her mistakes by way of electric shocks, skipped meals, verbal abuse, and beatings. Frequent beatings. Maybe the head researchers liked causing her pain. But why? Just because she was born smart? Starvation was definitely not beneficial to her health. Why would food effect the results of the test? Wouldn't they... raise them?

She thought about how good her life used to be. At least when she ran away from the Academy, she was running with her family and they were together. Sitting around a campfire during the middle of the night was a joyous occasion; Raine didn't even mind the bugs that would crawl into her food. Eventually, she decided to share and they seemed to back off. When she cooked, however, none of the bugs came around. She could never figure out why.

"Alright." Mistress Janet, as Raine was instructed to refer to the head researcher as, snapped some papers on a clipboard. "Let's get this over with."

Raine winced, swallowing loudly. "I'm in a lot of pain, though." Bandages covered her arms and leg, some with dried clots of deep red blood. The rags she wore barely dressed her body; as if someone merely cut pieces of old, dirty cloth together and had them sown by a blind man in the dark, upside down.

"Shut up and do as I say; otherwise no dinner," Janet demanded, growing irritated.

"Yes, Mistress Janet," Raine sighed. She couldn't afford to lose another meal over an experiment. She'd be lucky if she could even eat afterwards.

"Good." The woman pointed to a screen hovering above her head. "This is what you're going to do. Shapes will appear on this screen corresponding with these buttons." She directed Raine's attention to a platform, holding the testing equipment. "This experiment will test your memory skills. The shapes will only show up once and you must remember their order. If you get it wrong. . . well, wait and see."

It didn't take long for Raine to guess the punishment induced for incorrect answers. A strap was placed on her neck and tightened to the point where breathing became more difficult than it should have been. Her complaints fell on insensitive ears for Janet did not care openly expressed for lack of concern for the half elf's protests. She scolded Raine for complaining; three licks with a thick metal tipped whip. Every hit landed on her legs; the most tender part of the girl's body. Raine cried out in pain and fell to the cold floor, rubbing her now painfully red flesh. Deeply discolored marks decorated her skin.

"Get up!" Janet lifted the whip for round two.

The girl struggled to her feet, using the wall for support. "What was that for?!" she shot back, hotly.

"Silence, NOW!" the mistress screamed.

Raine's sobs dwindled and she obeyed instructions, still pulsing with anger over her unfair punishment. She pushed her silver hair back; it was soiled for baths were not frequent in the Academy for test subjects.

Janet returned her attention to the testing area. The machine sang as she pushed buttons with a single finger. "Sit down so we can finish this."

"Not like you're doing anything but sitting back and watching," Raine whispered under her breath while walking.

Janet's eyes narrowed as she paused from her duties. "If you have something to say, say it out loud. I will not tolerate disrespect. Especially from a HALF elf." The last two words made her body jerk back in revulsion, as if she had just said the nastiest, most deprecating terms in the history of Tethe'alla.

Raine tilted her head down and lowered her eyes, ashamed of what she could not control nor had a choice in becoming. "I'm sorry." Apologizing for the inevitable; the sad tale of a half elf.

It's not hard to believe why her race came to hate themselves. Constant oppression blocked the path to many rights and opportunities both humans and elves knew they were entitled to, yet refused to allow. Execution became a daily announcement; it was more like a half elf genocide. Even Virginia began researching an imaginary land called Sylvarant; her last hope for her children to escape the unjust tyranny. Raine always believed Sylvarant was the moon, or at least that's what she learned in the few books her hands came in contact with. Actually, her undying passion for books is that sparked the Academy's interest in her. They were so close to the Otherworldly Gate one night, so close to hallucinations of freedom and equality, so close to a dreams were unable to sympathize with. Sovereignty was an illusion; just another lie her mother put her to sleep on, just another farfetched dream none felt could be fulfilled.

"You should know I'm doing you a favor," said Janet with a proud tone ringing in the back of her voice. She flipped back a piece of her hair, increasing her field of vision. "Not too many people would even touch a half elf, let alone experiment on them."

"Doing me a favor?" Raine replied, first in agreement. Then her head shot up as she came to her senses, burning with unshed tears and crimson cheeks. "NEVER!" she screamed. "You demand my body, chase my family, threaten my father, and lock me in a cage like an animal! That's doing me a favor!? You filthy witch!" By the time she realized what she had said, it was too late. She quickly covered her mouth with her hand as her eyes widened in fear.

Janet's eyes flickered with shock, which changed to anger and rage in a matter of seconds. Growling through her gritted teeth like a wild animal, she charged at the half elf with god-like speed, her heels clicking like the morse code of death. She dropped the whip and raised the clipboard in the air, warning the girl of her intent to attack. Raine could not escape; her neck nearly snapped off when she attempted to run. The girl merely braced for impact, covering her face with her hands.

It seemed like an eternity, but soon the impact came.

And soon after, the darkness.

- - - - - - - 

"Uncle Botta!" A little half elf boy bounced down the hallways of the Tethe'alla Renegade base. With carefree steps, he hummed a mysterious song that resounded and recoiled against the walls. He had a paper in his hand, an assortment of colors and shaped decorated its face with no regards to consistency.

"Yes, Genis?" Botta peeked his head out of the door just in time to see Genis stroll closer to him.

"I made you something!" Excitedly, he held up the paper and smiled.

Botta took the paper. He chuckled nervously as he turned the picture around, trying to find the top and separate it from the bottom; the picture was merely a colorful blob. "Ah, wonderful, Genis," he lied.

Genis giggled happily and widened his smile. "Where's Daddy?"

"Yuan is working on something very important," Botta replied.

"But _where_?!" The adolescent moaned, annoyed with his uncle's vague answer. He revealed a second piece of paper, slightly wrinkled on the edges and...was that a purple satay stain on the side? It most likely had the same turn out as the first grotesque piece of art. "I gots to give him this."

The Renegade sighed. "Alright, but you have to promise to be quiet and not disturb Daddy while he's working, okay?" Genis nodded. "Promise?"

"Promise." He nodded his head for a second time, confirming his comprehension.

Botta folded his arms. Yuan would definitely scold him for this later. "He's in his office working on something VERY important."

"Okay!" Genis exclaimed and turned on his heels, ready to dart off.

"Remember to knock on the door before entering!" he called out when the boy was half way down the hall.

"Okay!" the boy repeated, increasing his speed before his uncle could remind him of something else.

True to his promise, Genis stopped running when he turned the corner to Yuan's office. He regulated his breathing and wiped the dripping sweat from his forehead. The Seraph discouraged his childish behavior, yet came to terms with it. Genis was rebuked occasionally for running in the hallways, especially after the rhieard incident... the dents would never come out and Charles still wouldn't approach the rhieard's hanger, no matter how many times Yuan assured him that it would never happen again.

Knock. Knock.

"Come in," a voice called from inside.

With feeble strength, the boy jumped to reach a button and opened the door. "It's me, Daddy." Genis darted inside and ran right to the side of Yuan's desk.

Yuan groaned and buried his face in his hands. "Botta dies for this later..." he whispered to himself.

The boy looked at his father with a slight disappointment. "You didn't want to see me, Daddy?" His face was in shock as he looked up with watery eyes, sniffling as if about to burst into tears. "I have a present for you."

"No, Genis, that's not it. I'm just a bit busy."

"Well," Genis replied, making a full recovery. He stepped closer and began climbing on Yuan's lap and placed a crumbled piece of paper on his desk, making it impossible to ignore, "I made a picture for you."

"Heh," the Seraph sighed in defeat. "It's wonderful, Genis."

The boy's eyes flashed brightly and he smiled. "Really?!" he squealed.

Somehow, Yuan moved the paper to the side without Genis noticing. Work he had been working on previously occupied with was revealed. "Yes, thank you."

"Yay!" Genis hugged his father. "Uncle Botta got one too," he whispered as if it were the biggest secret in the world.

"Oh really?" Yuan replied, attempting to sound interested.

"Yeah!" he exclaimed. Then he moved in closer; standing on Yuan's lap to reach his ear, though his angelic ears could hear miles away. His face grimed. Genis barely missed stepping on the Seraph's central vital organs. Not all of his body was immune to pain. "But his doesn't have glitter."

"Oh?" he sang, slightly relieved that Genis missed stepping on sensitive parts of his body. "Why no glitter for him?"

The boy plopped back on Yuan's lap, letting gravity guide his fall, and folded his arms, just like Daddy. "I ran out," he moaned with a twisted face.

The angel laughed. "Unfortunate for him."

"And Phil wouldn't take me to Flanoir to get more!"

"Phil could be busy."

"Hmph, I guess."

"Thank you for the picture, Genis, but I must return to my work."

"What are you doing?" Genis peered on Yuan's desk, scanning over the disheveled stack of papers.

"Work," Yuan replied blandly, as he grew annoyed with the boy's persistence.

Genis turned to get a better look, curious about the work his father did daily. "What's a..." he scooter closer to the desk, squinting his icy blue eyes in an attempt to make sense of the mysterious words on the paper, "cru-cru...eck?"

"Cruxis," the angel corrected, rolling his eyes.

"What's that?"

Throwing his face into his hands for the second time, Yuan sighed. He had to get rid of the boy; deadlines were running closer and closer. "If you leave me in peace, I'll take you to Flanoir to get glitter."

The toddler's face brightened. He clapped his hands together rapidly. "Hmm," Genis thought to himself, "AND," he included, stressing the vowel, "Altamira!"

Yuan's eyes widen with shock. "What?!"

"Oh, PLEASE, Daddy!?" Genis batted his teary eyes.

"What do you want from Altamira?!"

"Paint," he replied, throwing his face upwards to smile. "I'm all out."

"Why do you need paint?" exclaimed the father Seraph, growing more and more irritated.

"Well, surely you don't expect me to draw a picture of you with YELLOW hair!" Genis replied with shock, sounding completely serious as he shook his head and threw his hands into the air to emphasize his point. How could he possibly draw Yuan without the blue paint?

Yuan growled. "Oh Martel," he pleaded to the air.

"Please?!" Genis repeated.

"Alright, alright. Just leave me alone for a little while, okay?"

"Paint and glitter?" he asked, repeating the terms as if it were a binding contract.

"Yes, yes! I will take you to Altamira to get the paints and then Flanoir to get the glitters." Picking up Genis with little to no effort, he placed the boy back on the floor in a standing position. "Now run along," he commanded, waving his hand in the direction of the door. "I've work to do."

Finally satisfied, the boy nodded and ran to the door. "Okay. Thanks! Bye, Daddy!" he chirped before running away.

The angel shook his head and returned to his work.

* * *

To tell the truth, I giggled a lot when while typing up the scene with Yuan and Genis. It's just so much fun to poke fun at him! xD And he's so hot... especially in the manga -drool- His cape flaps with such undeniable awesomeness. He's just Yuan ♥ Of course Genis can't draw Yuan without the blue paints! Who has yellow hair?! Blah.

Oh, yeah. I suppose I should explain why it's named Melancholy. A synonym for melancholy is bittersweet. That word is my new obsession Xx Don't ask, just nod and agree with me. While Genis is living a rather sweet life, Raine's is bitter. Poor girl got the mess knocked out of her! Janet is such an evil witch. Suppose it's also time to raise the rating huh? Anyways, read and rate! Constructive criticism makes me smile.


	5. Tainted Presence

GAH! Sorry this was so delayed, but there are reasons. Number one: end of the school year with finals and financial aid for prom. Number two: prom just passed. Number three: Just finished typing up two new fan fictions, another chapter for Tales of the Aftermath, and then proofread this one. Hee hee. Yeah.

The next chapter might be up a lot sooner because I feel the story is moving a bit slow. But I'm weird like that. And yeah, it is a bit short again. Like I said, they'll get longer.

I do not own Tales of Symphonia. If I did, Sheena would have a red outfit to match Lloyd ♥

* * *

Chapter Five:

Tainted Presence

"_Yuan's been late to meetings lately." A blonde child of fourteen sat in a chair. His eyes were closed; fingers drumming against their opposites like a mirror in an unmusical, monotone rhyme of annoyance. The room was dark to match his mood; if the lights were on, his silence alone would be enough to drown it out. In the shadows, his face smirked with irritation as he thought of the cause of his frustrations. _

"_Has he, My Lord?" Another feminine voice echoed in the small room. _

"_It's been more and more frequent."_

"_Are you suspicious?"_

"_He's hiding something. But he's my friend," he replied in a childish voice._

"_As was Kratos," she reminded him, only adding fuel to the flames_

_He chuckled. "Don't worry. I've plans for Kratos once the Oracle is conveyed."_

"_Oh?" sang Pronyma. _

"_Yes, but as for Yuan..."_

"_If you put him on more missions, you can occupy his time."_

"_Hmm. Yes," he said mostly to himself. "I think I will."_

_- - - - - - _

True to his word, Yuan stopped working a few hours later, although, it was reluctantly. His work was never truly finished; not until the institute of the Age of Lifeless Beings had been abolished permanently and the Chosens no longer had to sacrifice themselves for the sake of resurrecting the dead, even if she was Mithos' sister... and Yuan's fiancee. Still, he found time to set aside for the toddler, convincing himself that it was his role as a father to spend time with his child. Technically and biologically, Genis was not his child, but the boy had grown on him, despite the lack of blood relations. In a twisted world like his, torn so deeply by discrimination, those with tainted blood, a forbidden mix of human and elves, everyone was family; they had to stick together or they'd die apart.

"Botta, I'm leaving for a while. Genis needs more glitter and paint," Yuan muttered, still annoyed at letting a toddler talk him out of his important work.

"Alright, Sir," he replied with a laugh. "But what if Mithos should call for you while Genis is with you?"

"It is a risk. I'm sure he's more occupied with preparations for the Oracle."

He nodded, though Botta felt his Lord was being too laid back concerning the entire situation. "Understood."

Just then, an enthusiastic Genis came dashing down the hall to meet his uncle and father, bouncing off the walls like a rubber ball. "Daddy! Uncle Botta!"

Botta ruffled the toddler's silver hair and smiled. "Hey Genis."

"We're going out shopping, right, Daddy?" the toddler beamed.

"Uh huh." Yuan nodded and rolled his eyes.

"Very nice. Have fun. And keep an eye on your father."

Genis straightened his hand, stiffened his body, and saluted. "Yes, sir!" he exclaimed, imitating the subordinate.

He laughed and smirked playfully. "Very funny."

- - - - - -

Light came back as she blinked away the sleep and she looked around, attempting to find something familiar to locate herself. The room was silent, but the silence was thick; almost frightening. Her head was pounding with an insane migraine, casing her to hold her stiff hands to her head as she sat up. Her back cracked loudly in several locations and she tried to twist her arms in a position to sooth them, only causing more pain. Memory was faint, like a picture slowly coming into focus. But after a while, they came back belatedly, yet vividly. Painfully vivid.

The steel floor was cold, but a familiar cold that gave an unusual warmth. It was her cage and she concluded that she must have been thrown in, as indicated from the newly created dark bruise on her back, illuminated by the small stream of light coming from the only door in front of her. She didn't even want to think about what happened after Janet's violent outburst; she could still feel it.

"Ooooh," she moaned, rubbing her forehead.

"Raine," a voice called from outside a cage," you're finally awake." He bent down a little to view her. His eyes filled with sympathy for the girl.

She straightened her back a bit more, only to slump over again. Sharp pains struck every fiber of her legs and arms. "...wha.."

"Shhh," he cooed, "don't speak. I'm sure you're in a lot of pain."

"What happened?" she asked.

The man sighed. "Heh," he chuckled nervously, deciding whether or not it was wise to inform the girl of her punishment.

"What happened?" she repeated, her voice a bit more stable.

"You must have really upset her. The Mistress went insane." For the safety of her emotional well being, he suppressed Raine's notion to reveal all the details of the attack. It was bad enough that he had to watch Janet lash out at the half elf with his own eyes, but the man's heart still ached remembering that it was in fact Raine whom felt the pain.

"I figured that," she replied, sarcastically. "But what did she do this time?"

"She..." He turned his head from side to side, as if even retelling the horror would somehow cause the girl to have a relapse, "... beat you a lot. More than she should have. It took about three people to restrain her and rescue you."

"I would have settled for losing dinner or something." Raine tried to laugh, but pain struck in her chest. She beveled over, gasping for air. "Thanks for saving me again."

The man attempted to crack a smile. "No problem, Raine. But just watch what you say to her, okay? The Mistress has anger issues, you know that."

"She beat me for stating the truth," Raine remarked.

"Look, we all know," he moved in closer to the cage, as if there were someone else within earshot, "she's an evil witch, but you can't tell her. What will happen to you if she does it again and no one is around? Not like you can use magic."

Raine moaned, realizing he was correct. Shortly after she came, the girl was injected with several different needles, suppressing the magical abilities of her elven heritage. The points of entrance still scarred her arms; no less than five large holes decorated her one beautifully vibrant skin. "... okay, okay. I'll be more careful."

Temporarily satisfied, he grinned and stood to his feet before his legs fell asleep completely. "I'll try to find something for the pain. Might be some apple gels in the storage closet."

"Lemon would be nice," replied Raine in a soft voice.

"Haha," he laughed, "alright. I'll try to find lemons."

"Thanks."

"Be right back. Get some rest if you can. No telling when Janet will pop in here." With that, he waved to girl and left the room, closing the door behind him quietly.

- - - - - -

Their first destination was Flanoir since it was the closest. That way, the half elf figured, if Yggdrasill summoned him, he could easily drop off the toddler with Botta and be on his way to Derris Kharlan. Even after arguing with himself, Yuan was forced to use a rhieard. Genis insisted that he was enough to polit one alone, though the boy couldn't even pronounce the words labeling the controls.

"Daddy!" he pouted, stomping his feet on the ground. "I can do it _myself_!"

Yuan folded his arms under his cape. "I wasn't asking you, I was telling you," he muttered.

"It was an accident!" Genis held his head down. "It wouldn't happen again. Promise."

"I know," the Seraph replied, "because you wouldn't be driving."

"But w-"

The angel shot around on his heels at lightning fast speeds, causing a squeaking noise to echo in the hanger. It earned the attention of the Renegades occupying the room and some thick silence. Everyone who knew Yuan well knew that something bad was going to happen. Tension congregated as all waited for a reply.

"That's it... Not another word from you, understood?" Though his eyes were shut, the look on Yuan's face gave away his growing irritation.

Finally, the boy realized he was the source of the disorder. "I'm sor-"

"Shut up!" snapped the angel with a voice strong enough to break the Tower of Salvation. Some of the workers jumped as if they were directly in the line of fire. "I'm doing you a favor by wasting _MY_ precious time taking _YOU_ to Flanoir and Altamira! I'm so sick of your constant complaining!"

Genis' face went pale as a chill shot down his small spine. His lips quivered uncontrollably. He was ready to burst into tears, but that would be embarrassing. Even more embarrassing than being yelled at by Daddy in front of the Renegades? At that point, the boy really didn't care anymore.

Yuan left the boy to sulk in inaudible pity as he prepared a rheiard for departure. "Get back to work!" was all he said after an eternity's worth of silence.

"I-I..." Some sounds escaped his lips in between the sobs.

The angel sighed as his once harden facial features soften. Slowly, he was realizing the harsh nature of his words. "... Damn..." He stopped pushing buttons and turned to look at the boy, analyzing the damage. "Genis.."

"I don't want to go anymore!" Turning on his heels, he screamed and ran away, forcing his way through a few Renegades blocking the door.

He let his anger get the best of him yet again and punished himself for it silently. But this time, it was aimed towards someone who may have deserved it, yet could not handle the burn that came with the fire. His had a tongue that could pierce through stone, and fully aware of it, but not always in control; sometimes he was the slave, not the master, choosing the wrong victims to vent on. Then again, were there every any "right" victims? Did anyone rightfully deserve the hostility of his nature or did they just understand that, deep down, he was only did it as a result of being pained; the side effect of loving and losing, of life and death, of pain and suffering.

He pondered upon himself for a while, trying to distract his conscious by busying his fingers with preparations for departure. He didn't even realize that he was muttering things that sounded like random nonsense to his own ears like a madman. Sighing heavily after settling his internal strife, Yuan finished fueling the rhieard and set the controls to charge while he sought after the boy to give a well deserved apology.

- - - - - - -

Raine's ears perked up when she heard the door open, rather wildly, as if the person on the outside were angry. She expected it to be the lemon gels, or apple, ready to relieve some of the pain and squinted her eyes from the sudden invasion of light, trying to make sense of the movements and faces that entered the holding room. Unfortunately, it was not, but something much different.

Three men wearing lab coats stepped inside, some of whom the half elf recognized to be workers. They were yelled; one commanded the other two to hold the "thing" tightly and they grunted, saying they were doing their best. Whatever they were holding didn't appreciate it and was rocking back and forth violently. Raine caught glimpse of the rebellious figure. She jumped back in shock upon spotting a tail, no-, three tails... and some blue... three blue tails? A bell jingled in the room- could it be a puppy? Why would the Academy have animals?... They wouldn't be so cruel as to experiment on defenseless animals as well.

"We should have used the tranquilizers!" one exclaimed, grasping the object's tails firmly.

"It's too late now. Just put the damn thing in the cage!" Another grumbled and snatched a ring of keys from his pants, sorting through until he found the right one and opened the cage directly across from Raine. Then he looked to the side. "You got a roommate, half elf," he smirked and laughed.

Raine didn't bother to reply; she was more curious as to learning more about her new "roommate." She scooted closer to the bars of her own cage, trying to get a closer look at the cause of their struggle.

Somehow, they managed to drag it to the cage. Counting to three in unison, the men threw the small creature inside and locked it quickly. Another moment's delay would have spelled freedom.

The creature growled like a lion, scratching its small magenta paws at door in a futile attempt of escape. It charged at the cage a few times, seeking to bend the bars, but they were incredibly solid and refused to contour. "Grrr! Let me out of this cage! NOW!" it roared. _Whoa, it speaks! _

"Shut up, already!" a lab worker commanded, hitting the cage with a metal bar. The reverberating sound was torturous; the vibrations irritated the creature's ears as well as Raine's. They both expressed their torment. The girl covered her ears with her hands and her roommate buried its head under its paws, trying to rub out the pain.

"Come on, let's go. I'm so hungry." The men laughed and left the room, slamming the door shut.

Once the vibrations died down enough to handle, Raine turned her attention to the cage on her left. "... Um... hi..."

The creature looked up curiously. "Who are you?" it asked, still sounding aggravated.

Raine stuck her lips out and sat down with her legs crossed. "I'd like to ask you the same."

"Those idiots call me Corrine, but that's not my real name." Feeling a bit safer, it moved closer to Raine's cage to get a better look at her.

"Corrine. That's a nice name," she replied, nodding. Since she couldn't shake hands like she was properly taught, nodding would have to do. "My name's Raine."

"Well," replied Corrine, "nice to meet you, Raine."

The half elf smiled for she had made a new friend, thought this was the last place a friendship should blossom: separated by metal bars, locked in cages, in the cold, dark room. "Why are you here though? Are you a puppy?"

"Probably the same reason you are, and, no, I'm not a puppy. I'm a Summon Spirit."

Raine gasped and scooted even closer to the bars. She stuck her face between them as much as she could without reshaping her head permanently. "No way! I thought Summon Spirits had temples and stuff. That's what the books that I read said, at least. Plus, how could you be here? "

"I'm a man-made Summon Spirit."

"Ooooo!" sang the girl with wide eyes. A Summon Spirit as a roommate? How lucky could she be?

"Well, it's not all the much fun for me! All they do are weird and painful experiments; no matter how much I fuss, they never listen!" Corrine laid down and curled into a ball, his head resting on his paws.

"..." Raine's interest drained a little bit and was replaced with sympathy. He was yet another victim of research. "They do it to me too."

"But aren't you a half elf?"

"... n-n" What use was there in lying now? She was already captured and her identity exposed. Maybe she was afraid she'd lose her only friend because of her bloodline.

"I can sense elven blood in you. It's okay; I don't hate half elves. We're just alike."

"R-really?" She lightened up a bit, eyeing the Summon Spirit for any hints of lying.

"Trapped in cages, tested on, treated badly: sounds like a match to me."

"So we are friends?"

Corrine's bell jingled as he nodded. "Yup."

Raine smiled and reached out her hand to pet the Spirit. "Okay!" she replied.

Just then, the door opened again and the two went silent. Entered a man; his hands obviously occupied with something delicate as he carefully closed the door behind him and turned on a mall light hanging from the center of the room.

Corrine whined and darted to the back of his cage, kneeling into an attack position; ready to pounce on any fool brave enough to open the door. "Get away!" he yelled, though the man was over ten feet away, showing no signs of having any intentions for approaching the hostile creature.

"Oh, they put Corrine in here, I see."

"Yeah. He just came today. He's a Summon Spirit!"

"I know, Raine." The man walked over to the half elf's cage and proceeded to shove brightly covered gels through a slot at the bottom of the door. "Sorry it took so long. When I went into the storage the first time, Janet was in the area. She'd ask questions I shouldn't answer. Had to wait for her to leave."

Raine grabbed a random gel package. "It's okay and thanks." She removed the protective wrapper, plopping the gooey gel into her mouth with a sigh of relief. It immediately took affect; the pain in her chest began to subside.

"Feeling a bit better?"

"Bla-" She coughed and swallowed the remaining gel in her mouth before replying. "Yeah," she replied, her mouth feet of any obstacles. Then she turned to Corrine who was still in the corner of his cage. "He wouldn't hurt you, Corrine."

"He's one of the people that experiment on me!" Corrine shot back.

Raine looked to her laboratory friend in shock. "What?!"

He sighed, for what the Spirit said was true. "It's not like I want to experiment on you... I do it because I have to."

"Says who?" she asked, rather upset.

"... That information is classified. But believe me, none of us half elves want to harm anyone in any way."

The answer didn't satisfy her but she knew he wouldn't go into any further detail at the moment, especially if it were truly classified. Sometimes he said that to protect her from the truth.

"I'm sorry, but it's time for me to depart." He stood to his feet after pushing the last gel through. "Hide those gels. If Janet comes in, she'll snap."

"Oh, right!" Raine seized the pile, carefully placing them in an area near the back of the cage, under her pillow.

With that, he departed once more after saying giving a farewell to both occupants of the room. He received none in return from Corrine, and Raine was too busy devouring a third apple gel.

"They're not all bad people..." Raine said after a moment of silence, following her friend's exit. "He's not a bad person, really. The bad people are those like Janet, my head mistress. But people like Jeremy aren't bad. He helps me a lot; like bringing me apple gels."

Corrine huffed. "Whatever."

"Honest."

"I just can't wait to leave."

She couldn't argue with a statement like that. "Me too." After staring at her remaining gels, she retrieved a red one and throw into the Summon Spirit's cage.

"What's that?"

"An apple gel."

"... for what?"

"It heals you."

"The only healing I'm looking for is running away and never coming back." He sniffed the gel curiously.

"I'd give anything to leave this place. I wouldn't care how either; if this place set on fire and all the doors opened, allowing everyone to escape. Or if someone robbed the Academy. I wouldn't mind being stolen... by someone nicer."

Corrine licked the gel and pawed it around his cage. "Be careful what you wish for."

* * *

Oh noes! Yuan yelled at Genis! The brat kept bothering him, but he hurt the boy's feelings. Bad Yuan! -smacks hand- And Raine met a new friend! How sweet. She didn't go Ruin Mode because it wouldn't be right. Plus, she's in a cage. Okay. Maybe one or two more chapters with Raine and Genis' lives before moving on to more fun stuff. Stay tuned for the next chapter! 


	6. Forgiveness

Yay! It's chapter six! Okay, so, remember what I said about one or two more chapters concerning Raine and Genis' new lives? I lied. There will probably be like three or four more chapters since I've thought up some new ideas for Genis before I start picking on Raine. I have a strong feeling this story will be very interesting, even before we get to the part where I butcher the World Regeneration. LOL. But lemme shush before I give the plot away. Bwhahaha.

Actually, I'm considering rewriting the first five chapters since they're not up to my current standards. Or at least going back and fixing typos. Hmm.What do you guys think? We'll see because I've two collabs, three other stories, a billion more oneshots, a trillion more request to expand my current one shots, and too many new ideas festering in my head. Oh, yeah, did I mention I'm starting college next week? Uh, yeah xD Anyway, enjoy.

I do not own Tales of Symphonia. If I did, every Renegade would have Yuan's sexy cerulean hair, tied into a ponytail.

* * *

Chapter Six:

Forgiveness

Despite the Renegade base having an endless number of rooms and hallways, there was only one place the boy would be. Yuan traveled the corridors of his base, still mumbling incoherently to himself and following the telltale tear drops on the floors, shining against the bright lights on the walls. Knowing he was the cause of them only hurt him more and he hastened his steps, nearly tempted to fly as his cerulean hair was blown backwards from the wind. Was he... worried about the boy? Or, perhaps, regretful?

He thought about how his father treated him during his youth. Sure, times had changed immensely and the punishments of the past could not hold a candle to the present, but the principals were still the same along with the foundation of both punishment and pains. Hard to believe such a person like Yuan was once half his present height, a fraction of his wisdom, extremely inept, and less his current composure, looking up with tear-drenched eyes as he pointed to a broken lamp, scattered across the floor like a priceless puzzle, marking himself as the culprit. That's when the boy's father would charge into the room, already enraged by the sound of the object breaking; steam pouring from his ears and fingers curled into a ball as if ready to strike the boy, which was usually how the night ended. His father loved him; Yuan had the scars to prove it.

He slowed down when he turned a corner and took a moment to examine the floor. Growling, he chewed the inside of his cheeks until the copper and Aionis tinted taste of blood caressed his tongue. The puddles of salty tears increased in width as Yuan got closer to the room he suspected the toddler to be in. His angelic ears picked up the faint whisper of sobs as he approached the door, which grew louder with every step he took. Light became scarce as this area was only for storage, so the lighting was less than adequate.

Stopping in front of the door, Yuan took in a deep breath, sighing heavily. This particular area did not have motion-activated entry because only certain people could enter. A keypad was instead set up with only a select few knowing the magic numbers. Irrespective of his extraordinary senses, he could not sense the presence of the toddler that one day he put away some new information regarding the Kharlan Wars. His mind was occupied and his movements had a slight delay between the moment they were thought of and sent to his fingers to be processed, but to let his guard down that low was rather disgraceful. By seer fate and blind luck, Genis somehow followed Yuan into the storage area, despite being told countless times that it was off-limits, and watched his father put in the secret numbers. He never bothered to change the pass code, figuring the boy's fear of darkness, a highly irrational fear in the Seraph's own opinion, would keep him away from the area. Instead, over time, it became his favorite hiding and sulking resort.

He knew he couldn't barge into the room; it would only make the already broken toddler more problematic. No... what would a father do in this situation?

"May I come in?..." Yuan asked after knocking on the door twice.

"Go away!" screamed the boy inside. His voice was hoarse, and upon hearing the sounds of another person, his sobs increased in intensity.

He grunted and bit his bottom lip, cursing in the Angelic language. "At least listen to me!"

"You'll just yell again! You always do that. Even when I tried to apologize, you told me to shut up!" Genis' voice was muffled behind the steel door separating the two, but still audible.

"... I-... I... am..." Why was apologizing so hard to do, even when it was necessary and rightfully just?

"You can't even say it..." The toddler sniffled loudly. "Uncle Botta told me not to say things I didn't mean."

Now the toddler was using the words of his subordinate against him. "I'm sorry, Genis."

Yuan heard shuffling from inside the room, followed by the tiny tap of soft shoes against the sturdy floor, which he concluded to have belonged to the boy. The steps grew louder until they were right in front of the door, then suddenly stopped. "You mean it?" a hopeful voice asked.

Only becoming more and more frustrated, he wanted to rip his hair out, lock by lock. He was strong enough to do it but the Seraph would never hear the end of it if he showed up to a meeting on Cruxis completely bald. Folding his arms, Yuan stroked his elbows with a single finger. "Yes, Genis. I mean it," he replied through gritted teeth, suppressing the urge to extract more blood from his cheeks.

Suddenly, the door beeped and flashed open, revealing a red-eyed Genis. His pale cheeks had white streams of dried salt from his tears, but he tried to crack a smile of forgiveness. "Really, honestly, swear-to-Martel mean it?" The young half elf eyed his father immoderately, wanting to be sure his apology was pure of heart.

Yuan sighed and threw his hands into his face. "How many times have I told you not to use Martel's name in vain?" he asked, shaking his head from side to side. "Yes, I mean it, Genis. Now can we just go get this stuff already? I've work to do."

Satisfied with it, Genis nodded and wiped his face. "Kay!" exclaimed the boy.

"Go wash your face first." Yuan flicked his index finger in the direction of the nearest bathroom.

"Alright." Genis wrapped his arms around his father's waist and hugged him tightly, wrinkling his black cape. "Even though you yell at me and stuff, I still love you, Daddy."

The angel turned his gaze upwards, patting the boy's back lightly and exhaled loudly. "Okay, okay, that's enough! Just hurry up and do what I said."

The toddler sniffled again and released an arm to wipe his eyes. "I'm going, I'm going!" With that, he smiled and turned to skip down the hallway joyfully.

Yuan watched the boy run off, temporarily forgetting to scold him for doing so. He jumped back when he noticed a slight smirk on his face. Genis' words had warmed him more than he expected; even a strange tingling sensation took over his eyes, although it was about four thousand years old. Still, the toddler's happiness was contagious and Yuan couldn't help but smile, for he had apologized, though he was unable to recall the last time he did. Or maybe he did remember apologizing to a certain someone for being unable to protect as she lay dying in her brother's arms... But back then, she couldn't forgive him before the last of her life vanished. If only she had verbally forgiven him, maybe he wouldn't be so bitter now.

- - - - - - - -

The next time the two entered the hanger room, everything was silent. A few stray Renegades still lingered, chatting about the previous events and performing what looked like a maintenance check on the room's equipment. Yuan's angelic hearing picked up some random words. His face winced, showing his dislike of the subject. When they heard him growl loudly, they quickly ceased talking and return to their individual tasks.

Genis smiled at everyone with his freshly washed face; bits of soap decorating his hair, but no one bothered to mention that small fact. He probably wouldn't have minded anyway since he smelled like lavender. Yuan bought it after learning of its relaxing properties and thought it would be an easy way of calming the boy down while he was trying to do work. This plan backfired, however. Ever since then, Genis tends to drown himself in it, even going as far as using half the bottle to wash his hands before meals and demanding more after he's cleaned out the entire package, a process that usually takes a week for a supply intended to last for more than a month.

A few moments after the duo entered, Botta walked into the room with a hastened and concerned manner. He had a paper in his hand, obviously important for he gripped it tightly as if the slightest wind would blow it from his grasp.

"Lord Yuan." Botta waved the paper in his hand. Hopefully, it wouldn't contain any grotesque portraits drowned in glitter.

Yuan turned around to view his brown haired subordinate. "What is it?"

"New information on the Mana Cannon's progress," he replied as he stepped closer.

"Is there a problem?" asked the angel.

"Yes. Apparently, there's something going on with the structure. Rodyle is trying to change around the original design and..."

Both Yuan and Botta looked down to see Genis looking up and listening to the conversation intensively. When they stopped talking to meet his gaze, he shifted his view from left to right, viewing their faces and trying to figure out why they'd interrupted their discussion.

"Genis, this does not concern you." Botta folded his arms.

"Yes. Go wait by the rhieard. I'll be there soon," said Yuan, pointing to the first rhieard, still being fueled.

He opened his mouth to speak, but stopped himself halfway between. Something told him not to argue with his father and end up risking a repeat of history. "Okay." The toddler excused himself and made his way to the rhieard, being careful not to touch anything.

The two stood and spoke for a while, deep in conversation. Genis figured whatever they were discussing was important; Botta took notes and made changes as requested by Yuan. Occasionally, they'd refer to the paper in Botta's hand and Yuan would scratch something out in ink using a quill.

A few moments later, Yuan made his way to the control panel and ended the fueling process by pressing some buttons. Lights began to flash as the warning sequence began, alerting everyone to stand clear for their own safety. The boy squealed happily and clapped his hands as he knew that meant they were one step closer to departure.

With a wave of his hand, the angel said, "Alright. Get on."

"Yay!" exclaimed Genis. He stepped closer to the vehicle and lifted his arms, throwing them over the back seat and gripping the opposite side for support. He grunted as he tried to pull himself up, but found his weak arms weren't strong enough to support the rest of his body weight.

Yuan sighed. "Wait, stop! Let me help before you hurt yourself." Moving over to the back, he grabbed the boy by his waist with little to no effort and hoisted him in the air, planting his bottom on the seat. Once safely set, Genis moved his legs to either side and allowed his father to fasten the safety belt.

"Thank you, Daddy."

"Hmm." The Seraph simply replied with a grunt and boarded the rhieard himself. "Botta, page me if anything happens. Hopefully, Yggdrasill doesn't need me," he said, turning around.

"Understood, Sir. Have a nice time and please return safely."

Genis waved behind to Botta and the other Renegades. "Bye, Uncle Botta! We'll be back soon!"

Yuan pressed a few buttons on the rhieard. Genis turned around and wrapped his arms around the angel's waist tightly, sowing his little fingers together like pieces of a puzzle. He leaned his cheek against Yuan's back. He closed his eyes tightly; departure was sometimes rough and the boy wasn't exactly content with the idea of flying thousands of feet in the air. Unlike his father, he lacked a pair of transparent wings to save himself.

Everyone cleared the area. Yuan did the final check and asked Genis if he was ready. The boy gave an enthusiastic reply, smiling through his excited voice, and bounced around on the seat waiting for the next move. The wings flapped and all the controls were inspected for stability. Both could feel the rumbling of the engine, but Yuan was used to the movement and Genis enjoyed it. He still had hopes and thought that one day, well into the future, he'd be able to pilot one himself.

Moments later, they were airborne, soaring through the chilly Flanoir sky. Random snowflakes attached to the rhieard, only to melt back into water droplets moments later or fly off from the intense air flow passing. Some snow landed on Genis' cheek, their touch feeling like tiny drops of ice. The wind blew through their hair; stray cerulean strains tickled Genis' nose and he sneezed twice, both times on Yuan's cape. The Seraph merely rolled his eyes, making a mental note to wash his cape upon returning to the base.

Yuan landed a mile or two away from the town. A rhieard in the sky would cause commotion, which would only lead to more problems down the road. He nimbly hopped off the machine first; his feet indenting a virgin patch of snow.

"Button up your jacket," Yuan ordered Genis after he helped him off the rhieard. "I don't need you getting a cold out here."

"Okay." Obediently, he lifted his fingers and carefully fastened each individual button to its corresponding hole.

Taking off a small pack from under his cape, Yuan pushed a button on the top and lifted it into the air. Seconds later, the once life-sized rhieard diminished into something much more small scale and was sucked inside before he replaced it.

"Let's go." The angel began walking in the snow, growing rather irritated with the snow getting into his face. Periodically, he'd wave a group invading his field of vision.

"Wait for me, Daddy!" Genis hadn't noticed until Yuan was a good ten feet in front of him, showing no intention of slowing down. His steps were high paced, as if he were in a hurry, which he was.

The boy had to run to catch up with Yuan. When he finally did, he was out of breath and panted heavily. It took two of his steps to match one of his father's, but somehow the toddler managed. He found amusement soon after; his breath condensed visibility as puffs of light smoke revealed his breathing pattern. He tried to grab it only to find the mysterious smoke slipping through his petite, half elven fingers. Finally giving up, he reached up and grabbed Yuan's hand. The action broke the angel's train of thought and he looked down, allowing Genis to tighten the grip. He looked up to match his father's gaze and smiled; Yuan returned with a smile of his own before turning his gaze back to his destination.

Flanoir always amazed Genis. The temperature was always below freezing, but the residents didn't mind and tourism was as popular as ever. Somewhere in the area, there was a resort owned by the Lezerano company. Numerous times Genis asked to stop by, only for a visit. He'd never been snow-boarding before, and come to think of it, he never really got the chance to enjoy the snow; the light layer of snowfall that landed around the Renegade base was dirty by the time the toddler got to it, and that was if Yuan let him outside long enough to even touch it. Usually, he'd sneak out and end up scolded for disrespecting orders. But every time, he was denied his visit, lightly fueled by his history of disobedience. He decided not to ask this time and risk ruining his current visit before he'd even gotten the original reason for coming to town.

"Daddy! It's so pretty!"

Yuan nodded, figuring the boy was referring to the snow for the third time since their arrival. "I know, Genis. You've already said that about the snow."

"No," replied the boy, shaking his head. "I'm talking about the shops."

He hadn't taken the time out to actually view his surroundings nor did he care, but the town indeed played host to some new additions. The streets were lined with hand carts that caught the attention of many tourist. Some shops that weren't present since their last visit ages ago decorated the snowy streets, each as colorful as the next, selling an array of items from trinkets, to gloves, to coats, to fruits and fresh meats, though Yuan questioned the possibility of raising fresh cattle and fish in such chilly weather.

"There it is!" Genis pulled on Yuan's arm rapidly while pointing to a cart near the church. "Come on!"

"Alright! Don't rush me," growled the Seraph. He let his feet follow after the boy as he ran excitedly towards the area of interest.

Once they reached the cart, Genis examined the selection carefully with icy blue eyes, as if he were an expert on the subject. Occasionally, they'd widen in amazement upon viewing something of interest and new. Shelves of colorful glitters glistened against the soft sunlight escaping through the thick, light gray snow clouds. There were millions of colors to choose from, but the boy was fully aware that his father wouldn't allow him to purchase everything. It wouldn't fit on the rhieard.

Yuan tapped his foot on the ground idly in an attempt to rush the boy, who ignored the hint. "Genis, hurry up. We don't have all day."

He looked up, completely shocked. "But, Daddy. I'm going to use this glitter to make you a picture! It has to be just right."

"Oh Martel..." Yuan rolled his eyes. The female store clerk giggled a bit but stopped once she noticed a fiery cerulean gaze on the side of her face.

The boy returned to his searching and made his first decision: one container of light blue glitter. "How about this one? Or maybe I should get the dark blue instead..." He tapped his finger against his cheek in deep thought, occasionally grunting as he argued with himself internally.

"Just. Pick. One." His patience was running thin and they hadn't even made it to Altamira. The paint would definitely take more forbearance than the glitter; the wider the selection, the more time the toddler was prone to use in making a simple decision.

Genis sighed. "Hmmm... I _guess_ I'll get this one and then get the darker paint." He handed the container to his father since he was the one paying for everything.

"Are we done?" Yuan asked, snatching it.

"Nu uh. I need more than that." Genis shook his head. "Unless we can come back," he added with a hopeful smile.

Yuan scoffed. "Not a chance."

Genis shrugged and went back to the cart; his attention was now on the reds, yellows, and greens. "Ooo! This one's so cool!" With his petite hands, he reached up and jumped slightly until his fingers grasped his target. He examined the container, spinning it around for a better view and cooing to himself.

"It glows in the dark too," the cart owner informed.

That was enough to gain his approval. "Whoa, you're right!" exclaimed Genis as he cupped his hands to block out the light and viewed the bottle with a single eye. "This one too!"

This process continued for longer than the angel appreciated. Yuan's cape became completely covered in snow as did his hair; he resembled a statue, a rather angry one. By the time Genis finished browsing and was completely satisfied with his final choices, Yuan's hands were occupied with no less than thirty plastic bottles, all filled with a rainbow of glitters and one or two containing glue.

"And your total comes to..." The clerk performed her mathematics on a sheet of parchment and quickly finished adding the numbers. "...ten thousand, two hundred, and thirty six gald..."

Genis ignored the price and crackled a smile when Yuan's eyes narrowed upon hearing the final sum.

"This had better last you until your funeral," Yuan muttered as he fiddled under his cape, pulling out a pouch fastened to his waist. He plucked out a few crisp, paper bills of different colors and some coins, not even bothering to check the amount before handing it to the clerk.

She checked the amount quickly and returned his change, then carefully placed all of the purchased goods into a paper bag. "Thank you and have a nice day! Please come again!"

Genis eagerly retrieved the bag, holding it tightly in his gloved hands as if a thief would dare steal his precious new glitters away. "Yay! Thanks!"

Yuan stuffed the change and replaced his pouch before croaking a reply in her direction. "Come on." He turned on his heels, walking towards the town's main exit.

While running to catch up, Genis turned and waved a 'goodbye' towards the cart. "Thank you, Daddy."

"Yeah, whatever." Rolling his eyes, he gritted his teeth, hastening his footsteps and causing his son to run in order to keep up as if it were some sort of small punishment for spending nearly eleven thousand gald in fifteen minutes. "After Altamira, we're going home. Understand?"

"Uh huh," the toddler replied and nodded his head. Some snow flew off his silver locks. "Maybe they'll have new paints."

The duo made their way out of town and trekked through the snow. Since their stop, the area had gained a few more inches, as noted by Genis' pants becoming wet. He sneezed a few times and wiped his dripping nose with his hands, complaining about a dizzy feeling in his head. Yuan groaned and handed him a handkerchief instead, trying to get the boy out of the cold as quickly as possible before he caught something.

They were almost near Celsius' temple when Yuan noticed something was amidst. He perked up his ears, heightening his angelic senses. Footsteps laid in the snow, unlike the ones created by him and his son; they were too small to come from an adult male, too big to come from a child, and had an elongated tip, signaling that the shoes weren't common. This area wasn't known to attract attention as the bitter cold kept most tourist away, most finding comfort in Flanoir and the temple itself was viewed as too sacred to be viewed by anyone other than the Chosen or those with height titles like a Priest. But Tethe'alla was far from being in decline and, to his knowledge, they were the only two in the area.

Yuan pulled Genis towards the entrance of the temple and shushed the boy when he asked why they had yet to board the rhieard. The toddler began to worry, swallowing loud enough for his father to hear. He tightened his hand's grip into something of a feeble death lock. Slowly, the two made their way; Yuan looked around and followed the foreign footprints. When he spotted a strand of aquamarine hair swirled around a rock, he confirmed his suspicions, slotting his eyes and snarling in annoyance.

"Pronyma."

* * *

Ooo. A little poke at Yuan's mysterious past. -insert sounds of amazement- Expect more to pop up during the course of the series. And he apologized to Genis! How cute! Wasn't expecting to make Genis this cutesy as a toddler, but, meh. I giggled while I was typing this scene up, especially the part with the glitter. And come on... Genis hugging Yuan. That's just too cute. Wish I could hug Yuan... -finds Yuan plushie-

Ouch. Lengthy compared to the others. I told you the chapters would get longer xD Actually had to stop myself and end this chapter here because it would have been like 12 or more pages. LOL. Besides, cliffhangers are fun and it's 10:46 PM.

Zomg, hack! Pronyma?! But what's she doing in Tethe'alla? Only one way to find out. Stay tuned for the next chapter! Dun dun dunnnnn!


	7. Cold

Wow. It's chapter seven. To tell the truth, I don't know what to say as an intro... Oh yes! Maybe a recap of that last chapter: Oh noes! Why is Pronyma in Flanoir?! Why is her hair falling out? What the hell is that gold frame thing she wears? The suspense is too much to handle!

I do not own Tales of Symphonia. If I did, Botta would have drowned in orange juice instead of water because it's tasty.

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Chapter Seven:

Cold

The look of annoyance remained plastered on the angel's face. Yuan began mumbling under his breath while his head shot from side to side, obviously looking for something. Cerulean eyes scanned the area, looking everywhere but downward at his son.

"Da-Daddy?" croaked the shaken toddler as he tried to make sense of the situation. He looked up with worried icy blue eyes, pulling on Yuan's arm, trying to be acknowledged. He'd heard that name somewhere before, but was unable to place the connection at the moment; all the boy remembered is that his father wasn't too fond of the person mentioned.

"Damn it. Why the hell is she here?" mumbled Yuan, rubbing the strand of hair from his fingers as if it were diseased. Looking around, he scanned the area for any abnormalities in the snow and kept his senses at peak.

"Daddy!" Now the boy was becoming impatient with being ignored. His eyes filled with tears as his heartbeat increased by no less than double. He brought his free hand to his face, wiping away some streams before they dried up, leaving behind a white residue on his cheeks. The freezing Flanoir breeze gave an icy kiss to his cheeks and he rubbed them to regain normal body temperature.

"Genis, shut up!" Yuan snapped, yanking his arm which caused Genis to almost fall sideways. Shocked at such a harsh reply, Genis jumped and gasped; the tears flooded even faster. He whimpered, trying to quiet his pain, failing miserably. "I mean, be quiet," the Seraph corrected himself after seeing the toddler's negative reaction and patted him on his head. He put his index finger to lip horizontally, pressing his thumb against the bottom before moving it across his lips.

Biting his bottom lip, the boy nodded his comprehension and wiped the rebellious tears hanging from his eyelashes. He was still afraid but felt his father would protect him, just like he did when the toddler woke up screaming from nightmares. Daddy always came running down the hall, along with Uncle Botta and a few other Renegades who were still awake, slam the door open, turn on the brightest light, and run to his bedside while Botta and the Renegades checked for monsters under his bed, sometimes even in the closet by the toddler's request. Genis' room was on the far end of the Base, a lengthy walk from the Seraph's office compared to the room he had as an infant, but Yuan made the trip in record time, his wings being partially responsible.

Suddenly, Yuan's head shot to the side. Genis followed suit, but found himself squinting due to his eyesight being less than his father's. It didn't take long to conclude that someone else was in the area: someone Daddy didn't like. He didn't have long to contemplate before he felt his weight being dragged in the opposite direction. Yuan lead the way, walking in the direction of a large egg-shaped boulder that was three times the adolescent's height and more than twice his width, covered in a thin layer snow, and the toddler followed obediently, without a word of objection. He stepped behind it before motioning Genis to do the same and ordered him to sit in the snow. Genis complained that his butt would get cold.

"Stay here and be as quiet as possible." The Seraph tapped the boulder with his finger, aggravating the sleeping snow which layered the surface. A miniature avalanche rolled down the rock, revealing the gray face beneath. Some of the snow landed on Genis' boots and he shook his foot to knock it off before nodding.

Genis said nothing, but his eyes gave away his fright and his lips quivered. He set the bag of glitter down next to him, making sure it was completely concealed behind the boulder.

"I'll be back soon," Yuan said before dashing away, leaving the toddler in a spot he could only hope was safe from monsters. But monsters were the least of his worries; something else, something much more worrisome lurked in the area.

His lips twitched in irritation as he walked at a steady pace through the snow, still looking around. The only sounds he could hear were distant: tourist complaining about the price of penguinist gloves, carts moving around, the Church bells ringing the hour, all the sounds of Flanoir, along with the soft flutter of snow falling to the ground. He ran his tongue against his inner cheek, trying to think of a reason for her presence and considering the possibility of his disloyalty to Cruxis being known. Yggdrasill wasn't one to do anything unnecessary, but why would she be in...

"Oh. Lord Yuan." A familiar feminine voice interrupted his train of thought.

Yuan looked up to come face to face with the person he'd been searching for, standing about three feet from him. Aquamarine hair cascaded down her face, reaching just above her shoulders, with a gold band adorning the top of her head. Her exposed shoulders and thighs felt nothing against the chilly breezes; the expression on her face remained as devious as ever, currently plastered with a wide grin as if she had just made a joyous discovery.

"Wandering around?" scoffed the Seraph, folding his arms under his cape. Yuan's dysphoric face contrasted that of the Grand Cardinal's: cerulean eyes slotted and nostrils flared like he were preparing to blow smoke from his nose.

"Of course not, My Lord. I did not expect to see you here," Pronyma replied and stepped closer; her gold frame came into view with each step she took.

"But why are you here, Pronyma?" he asked, getting straight to the point.

"I am here on a mission by order of Lord Yggdrasill."

"What kind of mission?"

Pronyma shook her head. "That information is classified. If you wish to know, you'll have to ask Lord Yggdrasill directly."

"I bet this has something to do with the Oracle," the half elf pondered to himself, looking at the ground as if a clue lay somewhere in the snowfall. "Fine. Do as you please." Waving her off, he prepared to turn around and walk away.

"Ah, Lord Yuan," sang Pronyma, with her index finger in the air. Yuan stopped in his tracks and returned his attention to her; something in her voice sounded mischievous.

"What is it?"

"I was also informed to alert Lord Yggdrasill if I saw you on Sylvarant or Tethe'alla." She held a communicator in her hand, running it through her fingers until her thumb hovered on top of a large button. "He's summoning you to Derris Kharlan."

The wind increased, blowing the flakes in a diagonal direction. Layers of snow began to cluster on his cape and hair, as well as Pronyma's, covering the two in a blanket of pure white. Visibility reduced drastically, even with the added support afforded from his Cruxis Crystal.

A glint of fear shot through his eyes. "Why?"

"I've no idea," she replied with a carefree shrug. Even if she did know, her tone of voice suggested she probably wouldn't have confessed anyway, leaving Yuan in the cold. "By the sound of his voice, I'm guessing it's rather urgent."

He figured it had something to do with Martel if it was truly "urgent," as Pronyma claimed it to be. Mithos was indeed obsessed with the deceased Goddess, doing everything in his power to resurrect her, at the cost of an infinite amount of lives, despite the protests of his companions. That's the only reason he would bother to track the Seraph down across the two worlds. But the Oracle was at least a few years off; Sylvarant's Chosen was not of age yet. What more was there to discuss?

Yuan stopped pondering, trying to keep his mind free from suspicions and anger as those emotions tended to cloud his judgment. "I'll leave now then." Turning around, he summoned his wings and fluttered them about to emphasize his intention of departure.

"Have a safe trip, Lord Yuan," Pronyma said with a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

He ignored it and took to the skies with a leap, knocking some of the snow from his clothing and cerulean locks, not giving a single glance back or a reply. The weather did a nice job of concealing his flight, elevating from single snowflakes to what seemed like sheets of frozen water hurling at the ground as the winds continued to howl. He stopped in midair after flying for a few moments and turned his head around, silently hoping Pronyma was not ignorant enough follow him. He dropped his gaze to the lands below, searching for silver locks or a brown paper bag in the area he believed his son to be, anything that would give away the toddler's location. The snowy conditions started to work against him; thoughts of the boy being attacked by a harpy, collapsed, or even unconscious, all alone filled his mind and he grunted in an attempt to shake them off. He'd barely been gone for ten minutes; why was he feeling so restive all of a sudden?

After searching for what felt like an eternity, even to someone who was above the effects of time, Yuan began to grow worried. He had half a mind to call out the boy's name, but the option was voted against: what if Pronyma heard him while she still roaming the area? Running out of alternatives and growing more and more uneasy with each passing moment, the angel revealed his arms from his cape and extended them on either side before going into a dive, fighting the icy tingle of snow against his cheeks. He retracted his wings a bit early, causing him to come to a running stop.

"Genis?" Yuan called in a low voice, only to have silence reply. He walked around every boulder he could spot, in hopes of finding the toddler behind one of them. The snowfall had filled in his old footprints, leaving him with nothing to follow; no landmarks. The first few inspections came up dry.

"GENIS!" bellowed the half elf with his hands balled into fists; his fears got the best of him. Still, he heard no signs of another's presence, and the wind whipped his cerulean hair around as if weightless.

He couldn't find his son.

Chewing his bottom lip, he went into his pouch and fiddled around before pulling out a small communicator of his own. A flip of the switch turned it on; lights flashed as the screen indicated the signal strength which was surprisingly strong. He played with the controls for a few moments, trying to lessen the static.

"Botta. Botta, come in. It's Yuan."

Squeals and more static played on the speaker until his subordinate's voice came, much to his relief. "I'm here, Sir. Is there a problem?"

"Unfortunately, yes," confessed the Seraph; his voice still low in case someone were eavesdropping. "Ran into Pronyma in Flanoir."

"Sounds bad. What did she want?"

"She wouldn't tell me; said it was classified. But that's not why I'm calling. I had to hide Genis while speaking with Pronyma, and now I can't find him."

"Where could he have gone?!" exclaimed Botta.

"I have no idea nor do I have the time to look. Yggdrasill is summoning me to Cruxis. I need you to come here and look for him so he can return home safely," Yuan replied, moving the communicator closer to his mouth.

"In what area?"

"Near the Temple of Ice. And watch out for Pronyma; she might still be here."

"Understood. I'm on my way."

"...Botta."

"Yes, Sir?"

"Please find him," he pleaded with his eyes closed. "Please find my son. Alive."

"Don't worry. I wouldn't come back empty handed," Botta promised. "I swear it."

- - - - - - -

Raine's eyes opened when she heard the door, somewhat annoyed with having her afternoon nap interrupted. She half expected it to be lunch, but remembered her morning of unsuccessful testing with Janet which hadn't gone so well, figuring if it were any food at all, it would have been delivered without permission. As she wiped her eyes, her vision adjusted to the sudden stream of light that consumed the darkness at a slow pace and she tried to make out the face of her visitor.

"Wake up, half elf," a gruff voice commanded. Moving his hand across the nearest wall, he flipped a switch and turned on main light which flickered before illuminating the room with a dominate white glow with strength to rival the sun.

"Ugh!" exclaimed the girl as the sudden shock hit her eyes. Raine sat up from her sleeping position, leaning her back against the bars and brought her knees to her chest. Laying her forehead on top the kneecaps, she attempted to drown out the bothersome light. "What now? I didn't do anything."

"I said wake up. I never gave you permission to speak." The visitor, dressed in a standard white laboratory coat, stepped into the room and walked over to Raine's cage. Squatting, his fingers curled around the rusty bars while his eyes inspected the inside for something only he knew. The half elf looked up and kept a suspicious glare on her face; eyes glued to the unwelcome visitant while she silently reminded him of his crime by invading her small, yet personal space. He ignored her, continuing his examination, even reaching into the cage at one point.

Before Raine could kick his arm to protest, another person walked into the room. To her relief, it was Jeremy; unfortunately, his hands were empty and his distressed face denoted a sense of unhappiness, or was it fear?

"Sorry to wake you, Raine," he apologized as he stepped inside, closing the door behind him.

"What did I do?" she asked. By this time, she was confused as well as, to some degree, frightened. This time of day was about the only "free time" the girl was allowed, the only part of the day both she and the researchers considered sacred, partially due to the fact that most human employees were on break and the half elven ones were busying themselves in remedial tasks, such as fetching lunches; not even night time was safe. It wouldn't be interrupted without reason, usually for punishment. Janet wasn't known for giving Raine rewards besides correction.

"Nothing. You haven't done anything wrong," Jeremy reassured, shaking his head with a soft sigh.

"Then why-"

"I'll explain on the way, okay?"

"... the way?" responded Raine, only becoming more curious and fearful of his words.

"You're going on a little trip," the other human researcher said.

It was somewhat of a relief to get out, but the fright didn't subside. Her cage door was opened and she was ordered to step out, a command the half elf submissively obeyed with hopes of the destination being revealed. Her hands were bound with thick, magitechnology shackles, as if she could actually pose a threat to them. Raine looked into Corrine's cage, which was empty. For some time now, the summon spirit had been spending his days with some girl the half elf knew nothing about. Corrine seemed to like her company, finding it an escape from the Academy's experiments, and would spend hours of the day, babbling off about his "adventures with Sheena." Their time together only seemed to get longer; at first, Corrine was gone for a few hours, then it became days, and then he'd disappear for weeks at a time. Raine felt lonely, having only the dead silence and dark abyss as her faithful companions, but felt selfish for doing so. She swallowed her feelings and somehow found the strength to endure, but there's only so much a person can handle without losing hope.

From there, the three were lead down the hallway, passing the experimental rooms, extra cages, mysterious liquids, and some other sections of the Academy she knew all too well. Every so often, she'd try to catch eye contact with Jeremy, who would only reply by shaking his head and sighing. After a while, she gave up and continued what seemed like an endless trip down the hallways of the prison she called home.

But Raine's eyes went wide and her face went somewhat pale when they reached the stairwell. Years had passed since she'd even laid eyes on the railing, back when she was unrighteously stolen from her family and thrown into the darkness, somewhere deep in the basement. Bad memories could have easily consumed her had her mind not been so clouded with disarray, and she turned to the men once more in a final attempt to get information.

"...we're going up the stairs?" She could no longer contain herself; the words flooded from her lips as even the thought of leaving the Academy was rather farfetched.

Jeremy nodded. "Yes."

"A-all three of us? We're all going up the stairs?"

He chuckled, nodding with more enthusiasm the second time. "Yes, we're all going up the stairs. And leaving."

Raine stood there for a moment, completely dumbfounded with her mouth wide open as she fought to contain the new chaos rushing through her mind. She reached out to touch the railing, bringing her hand back with hesitation before she'd even gotten half way. Swallowing and straightening her face, she extended her arm to try once more, but the sudden presence of another stopped her.

"The half elf is ready. Good. Things seem to be going smoothly." Janet appeared, along with the monotone clicking of her heels, and stood next to the human researcher, clipboard in hand. She shifted the papers with lightning fast speeds and wrote down some notes. "I'd expect nothing less from one of _my_ experiments," added the mistress as she looked straight at Raine.

She said nothing, tilting her head at an angle, closing her eyes, and turned away from the mistress.

"Are we ready to leave?" asked the unnamed researcher.

Janet nodded. "Yes. The Cardinal Knights are here to escort. Make sure those shackles are on tight, and her collar isn't cracked. Oh, and don't forget the blindfold."

The girl's eyes popped open. Cardinal Knights? Blindfold? She wouldn't even get to see anything during the trip? She growled under her breath, reminding herself that she should have expected _nothing less _from them, and they didn't have the decency to explain.

As commanded, he reached into his pocket, pulling out a white piece of cloth. He stepped closer, adjusting the front against her eyes, matting down her rebellious silver locks, and tightened it just above the back of her skull. The blindfold had little to no slack; within moments, she could feel herself developing a migraine and every inch of her vision was enshrouded in darkness.

"Alright, we're ready. Take her upstairs. We don't want to keep the king waiting."

- - - - - - -

Flanoir just got a little bit colder for Genis, and it was not due to the dropping temperatures. He knew Daddy told him to stay put, but Daddy had been gone for so long, even if he lacked any way of measuring time besides the sun which was covered by a congregation of thick clouds; the boy grew worried, thinking the worse had happened. His steps were heavy, trekking through the snow that reached well to his waist as he shielded his face against snowflakes. He still gripped his bag of glitters in his free hand, finding himself unable to part with them, though he grew weary with every step. The tips of his fingers were red and felt like his blood had frozen solid.

Silver locks drooped down, soggy and drenched with melted snow, and icy blue eyes strained to see through the fierce weather; everything was a blur. His head was pounding with a migraine that made it impossible to think straight and the air was too thin to breathe. Unable to catch his breath, he dropped to his knees, and soon after, his face hit the snow. The bag, ripped in several places from water damage, broke apart, spilling all of its contents across the pure white lands. The icy chill was unbearable, tingling across his forehead, nose, cheeks, and chin, but he found himself incapable of moving. Fatigue flushed over his body as he fought the urge to fall into a deep, fatal sleep, and his body sank deeper into the snow.

"Daddy... I know you'll come for me. Please... I-I'm so cold... come find me... soon...please.."

And the boy closed his eyes.

* * *

Oh noes! Another cliffhanger! I are the meanie head. -evil grin- Those last two sentences with Genis almost made me cry. Sorry this chapter took so long, but that's due to my ISP being wack, college, and me procrastinating on updating Tales of the Aftermath XD Think I got three pages on it or so. And once Angelic is finished, I'll have more time before my first ever collab with **Spiritua Masquerade **starts! Omgtheexcitementiskillingme! -rolls around on floor and is put into straight jacket- It'll be awesome; look forward to it. Anything by her rocks. 

So, what'll happen to Yuan? Will Botta find Genis? Where's Raine going?! So many questions, so little time, and only two people know the answers! 'Til next chapter, TOOTLES. ♥


	8. Discipline

GAH! Apologies to my readers for this LONG awaited update. Lots of stuff has been happening, some real deep drama and I've been sick to the point of not being about to get out of bed for any longer than a bathroom break. Trust me, there's a reason, a few actually, as to why I haven't updated in over three months. Wish I could say things are getting better, but they're not. Expect a vent in the form of a story (oneshot) to come soon.

I do not own Tales of Symphonia. If I did, Martel would have been a ninja. Because ninjas own all.

* * *

Chapter Eight:

Discipline

Botta took in a deep breath after closing out his communicator's signal, shaking his head from side to side and chewing on his bottom lip mercilessly. Needless to say, he was worried, not to mention a bit upset with the outcome he predicted well before his nephew's departure. They had been gone for a little over three hours. Three long, pain-staking hours, though it felt like so much longer. Yuan's last desperate transmission was at least ten minutes ago. That's how long Genis had been in the cold, probably half frozen by this point in time and frightened out of his fragile, adolescent mind. Poor Genis... Botta just had to find him.

He dropped everything occupying his attention, leaving papers on his desk in no particular order and disregarding deadlines, gaining a few quizzical glares from the Renegades in the room. They said nothing, and prepared themselves for a command of any sort, most likely fueled by Lord Botta's discontent. Sliding his chair back, he stood to his feet and ran his fingers through his hair.

"Lord Botta, is there a problem?" one asked, becoming brave enough to speak. At that, the others stopped or slowed down with their work, anxiously waiting for a reply.

Sighing, the subordinate reluctantly nodded his head. "Something's come up and I need to leave for a moment. Continue with the blueprints and have the calculations ready by the time I get back." With a single finger, he pointed to acknowledge the new leader until his return. "Make sure it happens, understand?"

The appointed replied with a nod of his own, saluting with respect. "Yes, Sir!"

"I'll be off now," he said before rushing to the door.

Botta made his way down the halls, and he couldn't help but think of the toddler as he passed each bump and scratch decorating the once flawless wallpaper. Sure, Genis was the Puppeteer of endless annoyance, the source of Yuan's mood swings, and occasionally a thorn in the side, but everyone would shed a tear upon the announcement of his death. It hurt him to see the child in pain; it pained him even more to see the boy disciplined by his father, but such things couldn't be helped. What things didn't kill him would only make Genis stronger, but what if it did... what if he– no! It wasn't the time for doubts.

Verifying his identity on the door's scanner, he entered the hanger. His footsteps were loud and determined as he passed a number of workers without so much as a glance to acknowledge their presence. When he gave commands, his tone was low, using as few words as possible, and his gaze shifted, unable to concentrate on any one object.

The Renegades stayed out of his way for the most part, avoiding the half elf like deadly disease; some escaped from the room as if to avoid confrontations. Botta proceeded to the rhearid controls and pushed a few buttons in the same manner as Yuan, ultimately going in to the same destination, even if for a different reason. He made a promise to Yuan, one he planned to keep.

After a few final commands, the sirens went off, bringing the half elf back to his senses. He took another deep breath after nodded and closing his eyes to visually review his mission; maybe it would be smart to bring along some help, but no. They'd only get in the way, and it wouldn't be best to have the Renegades involved in such a trivial matter; so trivial a matter, it was driving him insane with worry.

Stretching, Botta loaded himself onto the rhearid, pulling leavers and twisting handles. His inspections came up dry for errors. Everything was in order. The hanger's flight door creaked open as a gust of chilly wind blew in, howling against his ears, along with a mirage of icy white snowflakes. After what felt like an eternity, a deep toned beep sounded, giving him the final confirmation for take off.

"Genis, hold on. Just a little longer and I'll find you."

- - - - - -

Raine remained in the dark, both consciously and visually. Her mind was spinning in countless directions from the throbbing headache caused by her tightly-bound blindfold; no matter how many times she pleaded, no attempts were made to correct the problem. Her feet moved in a steady pace, similar to marching on a battlefront, though she was in no condition to fight any wars. She stayed in the complete control of her guardians; perhaps the destination would be worth all she'd been put through. The idea was farfetched.

Somehow, she managed to loosen the cloth's grip, if only a bit, allowing her sense of sound to pick up the slack of her eyes. It had been years since her ears had been blessed with anything besides a revolting symphony of metals bars, chains, and noises of her own screams from those experiments. Corrine was no where to be found; the sound of his voice was becoming something of a memory. Slowly but surely, he just faded away, and the distance between his sightings became greater and greater. His short returns to the Academy were pertained to testing, in which case Raine didn't get a chance to see him. Even when she did, her body was in so much turmoil and her head cluttered with sickening thoughts, she had no choice but to suppress. When he spoke, his loyalty was to Sheena. Raine would smile, trying to imagine what friendship really felt like.

The sounds of Meltokio would have frightened her had she not been fearful of other things, and much more amazed for that matter. Heat, fatigue, and hunger wrecked havoc in the worse possible ways; thick shackles weighed down her wrist while cutting through her delicate, filthy flesh, and blood dripped down her arms. The urge to faint grew greater with each passing moment, but she knew it'd be hell if she did.

Suddenly, Raine yelled after her foot collided with something that felt like stone; why would they run her into a wall? Stumbling backwards, she tried to catch her breath while waiting for the pain to subside, and hopped on the opposite. The group came to a halt, but not without complaints.

"What is your problem now?!" Janet's irritated voice caused the half elf's head to shoot up in her direction.

"Raine, did you hurt yourself?" Jeremy's concerned voice rang in her ear from the left. He moved in closer to her side, taking her shackle-bound hands in his.

"Ow!" was her only reply as she squinted behind the blindfold. The hopping stopped, but the pain was just getting started. She tried to nod, compensating for the less than mediocre verbal reply.

Jeremy sighed, shaking his head in sympathy. "She can't see anything because of the blindfold. You have to do a better job of guiding her up the stairs." He pushed his laboratory coat behind him, pulling it to the back, and knelt down beside Raine, checking her bare feet for any detrimental damage. "I don't see any bleeding."

"For Martel's sake, stand up! People are looking at you. We're representing the Imperial Research Academy."

Jeremy stood to his feet as commanded. "Of course. Nothing's more precious than our reputation," replied the scientist. No sooner than the rebellious words escaped his lips, he gasped, turning his gaze away from his superior as he realized the true burn of his words. Even Raine felt a quake in the earth, as the group waited in the eye of the storm, and she feared for someone's life other than her own for the first time in a long while. His rant had been brave, true, yet idiotic at the same time.

Janet, who had been ahead of the group waiting impatiently on the fourth step, straightened her posture, snapping her back. Her face was to the destination, currently twitching with a cross between irritation and outrage while the last sane bits of sanity in her mind contemplated on the next move. Something big was about to happen; everyone could feel it.

"The king is waiting. Hurry. Up." The mistress' fingers curled into a fist; deep creases formed on the edges and her taunt flesh flushed plush red.

"Miss..." Against every conscious voice in his head, Jeremy spoke. He reached out his hand, extending his arm as if to touch her. "I-I, Miss Janet, I didn-"

"SILENCE," she screamed. The stone once solid beneath their feet rumbled, vibrating with unnatural force, and the sun's light seemed to die down. People traveling within earshot jumped; a few nearly tripped on their way down. The outburst gained the attention of residents and tourist alike, making note of the Academy's signature lab coats and insignias. "We have an appointment to keep." Her voice had a strange undertone, almost frightening. Disregarding the few feet of distance between them, it sounded, and felt, cold. Freezing cold, as if the last bit of warmth in her soul, assuming any remained, washed out like a candle in the winds of a storm.

Jeremy swallowed twice, trying to drown the sour taste of developing fear in the back of throat. "Yes... Mistress." He inhaled as his lips quivered for a moment; if she did anything, it wouldn't be until they returned to the Academy, right? Surely she wouldn't embarrass herself in front of His Majesty or anywhere near the castle for that matter. His mind subconsciously ran through the various torture method she used as punishment, squinting as mental paintbrushes drew a canvas of dark memories retelling the truth nature of things better left to die; the number was almost as horrific as the methods themselves.

Both of them had known Janet for years; each was accustomed to her mood swings, unjust accusations, and outburst that could only be described as temper tantrums. Being around her was easy, almost natural, but now something was different.

He grabbed Raine's arm, pulling it up to guide her up each step, making the trip a lot easier. He dared not to look towards the sky, fearful his eyes would meet hers and melt under the fury of her anger. The half elf tried her best to cooperate, biting her lip each time her now swollen feet hit a step. For the most part they traveled in silence, fearful of what was to come.

- - - - - -

Almost all nightmares have the same recurring theme, the same connection: fear of something out of one's control, whether it be death, loss, defeat, or failure; to be denied of a privilege one cannot regain, come tears or blood. Repenting is just a confession of errors, but very rarely does it compensation for the total sum of sins; compensation comes in many forms, often greater than the sin itself, like interest on a loan. And sometimes one is too blind to realize the true blessing he has in the land of the living, concentrating on those sacrifices far from his reach. Every tactic he considers necessary, everyone else considers insane. So what can be done when caught between a rock and a hard place, the ground below has turned to water, and the wings of hope have been severed from the back?

It's amazing how one small event in the past can poison the sands of time for generations to come, like a curse sent through something as precious as blood; how one small event in history could mean the end of so many people. Yes, the Seraph felt the same pain as his superior, but never in his life would he be so cruel, so selfish, or capable of conjuring a scheme as heartless as Mithos.

The winds blew through his hair, whistling past his angelic ears, and kissed his flesh like a cool breeze in the depths of summer. His black cloak floated as if weightless and ruffled like a flag presented on the battlefront. Yuan made no attempt to slow down; his feet hit the ground below with a thud as he ran to make up for the intense speeds his wings were capable of reaching. He left indents in the ground the same shape as his boots; blades of grass, torn from the force of impact glued themselves on the bottoms and on the sides of his pants. The half elf grunted, wiping them off. The same scowl he left Pronyma with was still on his face, and he had no intentions of changing it, not even for Yggdrasill. There was no word from Botta and nothing from the Base. If the boy died, he'd never forgive himself; he'd never forgive Mithos.

Yuan reached Welgaia, fast-walking his way through the lifeless crowd, paying no attention to their faces or their greetings, when an guard angel called to him.

"Lord Yuan," called a monotone voice.

The Seraph stopped and turned around after sighing with annoyance. "What?"

"Lord Yggdrasill has reque-"

"He's requested my presence. I already know," replied the half elf with a wave of his hand.

"Yes, my Lord. I was told to inform you he's waiting in the throne room."

"The throne room?..." he repeated to himself, narrowing his eyes. "Why is he in there?"

Normally in the past when Mithos calls his Seraphim for meetings, they've been held in the meeting room. The throne room wasn't as glorious as its name would designate, being anything but. What was he planning?

The angel stood a few feet away, listening to Yuan's mindless mumbling. "My Lord? Is something wrong?"

Yuan shook his head, knocking his senses back into place. "I'll be off then." With that, he turned on his heels and sped off before the angel could get in another word.

Vinheim used to be holy ground, rivaled only by the Holy Ground of Kharlan. When Mithos took over Derris Kharlan with the help of Origin and Kratos, he tore down everything unpleasant to his eyes and built a "glorious" castle which he proclaimed would be home to his family, a residence "fit for the gods" where there would be no lack for him and his sister. Even back before wars and exiles, the house Martel and Mithos lived in was nothing more than a storage barn someone allowed them to use for a few gald monthly: one bedroom, a bathroom not fit for slaves, broken roof, creaking windows, shattered glass. The slightest winds rattled the loose boards, winter was a nightmare and it felt like Martel caught a cold every week, sacrificing the warmest blankets for her brother. Summers were no better; when the clock hit noon, the sun beamed down like fire, melting the skin off their bones. Money was tighter than the bond between them; jobs were scarce due to the young goddess' age, and the care of her brother didn't make the situation less stressful. Still, somehow, she always kept a smile just like her mother did before her death. Martel tried her best to make it into a place called home, but her efforts were rendered useless; no matter what she did, it was never good enough. Hard times were only made harder during the Kharlan Wars; no inn would accept half elves, and humans were only fooled for so long. Sometimes they'd escape certain death by the skin of their teeth. Maybe Mithos felt guilty after Martel's death, a sense of selfishness unlocked a bit of remorse in his heart as he reminisced about the past.

Within a matter of minutes, Yuan stood in front solid double doors made from an extinct wood native to the area near Lake Umacy. Known for reliable durability and strength, it was used as the basic material for design until Cruxis' technology matured, which eventually lead to its disappearance. Somewhere in the Martel Scriptures there's a story about a holy tree with a spiritual connection to the Unicorn. Mithos thought up that lie overnight; he himself held the last seed, and despite numerous request to replant, refused. His reason for doing so was as selfish as always. Just another seed stolen from the world.

Yuan grasped the gold handle and pushed with a grunt as the twenty-foot-high doors swung open, making his way into the throne room, wondering how something so "holy" could be so dark and unbecoming; orange shadows danced along the walls as decorative stone pillars held jars of freshly lit fires placed on either side of two windows on each side of the room. His boots tapped softly against the solid marble floors that glistened and sparkled, flawless. When he looked down, his aquamarine eyes caught sight of an exact replica in the form of a reflection. The Seraph quickly turned away as it reminded him he hadn't aged in four thousand years.

"Next time you enter this room, knock first." Some distance away, a figure grumbled in an innocently dark voice. His body was curled into a ball, back arched and weight supported on a lone shoulder against the throne's upholstered back. His arms wrapped around his legs as he rocked from side to side, not worried about falling over, and his gaze was towards the empty wall directly in front. The throne itself was taller than him in his current form, and just as ancient; topaz, aquamarine, diamond, and many other jewels decorated the sides, solid gold trimmed the edges. Runes spelled out Mithos' name in every language known to humans and elves, with the top of the throne having it spelt with Angelic characters.

"Hmph."

"Just as rude as ever." Mithos unwrapped himself and swung his legs over the edge, letting them dangle over the throne.

"What is it, Mithos?"

Mithos stroked the arm rest with his fingers, tracing his name in ancient languages. "Martel's gonna be back soon and I want everything perfect."

Yuan growled and folded his arms. "I was hoping you called me here for a real reason," replied with Seraph with irritation.

He looked up, slotting his eyes and jumped to his feet. He walked down the steps leading to the precious throne, halting when his shoes hit the carpet. "Even to this day, I still don't understand what Martel saw in you." High ceilings caused his words to echo throughout the room; every sound's intensity multiplied. "If it wasn't for her wishes, you'd probably be dead. Just like the rest of those other failures."

Only Yggdrasill would be so rude as to stand in his face while spewing insults, but somehow every conversation about Martel between them ended this way. Their views on the situation always seemed to be polar opposites. "I didn't come here to have you insult me."

"I'm just telling the truth. Why can't you just be grateful I'm even considering your opinion when it comes to my sister?!"

"Enough of this!" Yuan exclaimed as he felt his anger grow. He spun on his heels and began to back track with the intention of leaving the room. "I'll excuse myself if you have nothing else relevant to say."

"Don't you _DARE_ walk away when I'm talking to you!" Mithos screamed. Yuan hesitated for a second, but decided to keep walking.

A terrible mistake.

Mithos summoned his wings and began to glow as white balls of light surrounded his body. Moments later, he transformed from innocent hero Mithos to the mass murder Lord Yggdrasill. He lunged towards Yuan with angelic speeds, gritting his teeth, and grabbed the Seraph by his collar, moving his grip to the neck and began to slowly tighten the grip, growling through gritted teeth like a caged animal. Crystalline blue eyes narrowed into slots. He lifted Yuan in the air as if he were weightless, tossing him to the nearest wall like a rag doll, and sending a ball of mana after him after the impact.

Yuan exclaimed and tumbled to the ground, rolling around for a few second as he tried to caught his breath. Yggdrasill gave him no time for recovery; he flew over the injured half elf and landed inches away from his body. He kicked Yuan's chest with full force, sending the Renegade's back into the wall. Yuan gasped, rolling on his front and pushing his body up with his arms while coughing up blood. Before Mithos could get in another blow, he jumped in the air, knocking into the door and began to steady himself.

Yggdrasill huffed and pointed to the disobedient Seraph with a single finger. "I gave you EVERYTHING you have! EVERYTHING! Your immorality, your skills, your strength, your life. Without me, you'd be nothing. Don't forget who you owe your loyalty."

"...-" Despite being impervious to fatigue, he felt worn out, injured, and as much as it hurt to admit, beaten. Kratos had taught the boy well in the area of swordsmanship as well as combat.

"You're dismissed. Get out of my sight." Mithos flicked his hand and opened the door to exit. "The next time I summon you to Derris Kharlan, be on time." With that, he left Yuan to suffer alone.

A dog disciplined by his master.

* * *

A page shorter than my requirement, but hey, that's okay. For some strange reason, I LOVE that ending. Poor Yuan, but bat friggin insane Mithos is awesome XD And, zomg, where's Genis? Why are they taking Raine to the King? I'll try to get an update soon. Tell me if you spot typos. I'm out of things to say. For now, tootles 


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